


Family Getaway

by Vee017



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Alternate Reality, Enemy Lovers, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-11
Updated: 2007-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-24 21:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 41,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/268254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vee017/pseuds/Vee017
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ray

Terminal City was bustling with activity, the new arrivals that were on their way had been recently broken out of a Familiar holding. TC was fast becoming a haven for unwanted transgenics. The place was safe and kept away the Ordinaries, everything and everyone was settling in just fine.

"Here's the stuff you needed," said Max.

"Thanks, could you hold Faith for a minute."

Max took Faith from Gem as she gave her the bag. Gem had been asked to help out with the other pregnant X's. Max had just come back from a supply run with some things she needed.

"Is she getting big or what?" asked Max bouncing Faith on her hip. She was such a cute kid, chubby and soft. The child smiled and made a grab for Max's hair.

"She sure is," said Gem rifling through the supplies and putting them up in the storage cabinet, "Tori should be going into labour any day this week."

"How many-"

"Aunt Max?"

A little eight year old boy with sandy blonde hair was standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hey Ray, what is it?"

"Logan's onscreen, wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I'll be up in a minute."

"Alright." Ray went running down the hall towards central.

"He's a sweetie," said Gem.

"Yeah, he is."

A couple months ago, Ray White's aunt was killed in a car accident. The boy had no other relatives to stay with so it was decided that he came to Seattle. What better place to hide him then right under White's nose? Max had went down to Florida before Logan, much to his annoyance, go get the boy.

During the ride back to Seattle, Ray and Max had formed some sort of close bond. Ray loved it at Terminal City. What eight year old wouldn't love running around outside, climbing on metal trash heaps? He had quickly made friends with a group of X8's, the five of them were almost inseparable during the day.

"So…how are things between you guys?"

"With Logan? I don't know, I mean, I came clean about Alec and I not being a couple. I told him it was to push him away but, there's still the virus I just…I just remember what Mia said about how love isn't supposed to be easy."

"Max, I think you'll find a cure."

"How do you know?"

"You just got to have faith."

Gem reached over and tickled her little girl.

  
^^^

Logan tried to wait patiently as he stared at the computer screen. He had finally gotten his penthouse redone and was again, comfortably living in style.

What was taking Max so long? She was working at Jam Pony today, and he needed her to pick up something for him. He didn't want to tell her for what yet, so he hoped she wouldn't ask. And what didn't Logan want Max to know about? A cure for the virus. Logan thought that he might have something, know someone that might be able to figure it out. He didn't want to get Max's hopes up though, just in case his lead didn't turn out.

"Hey Logan," said Max coming on screen," What's up?"

"Hi, uh hey Max, I was wondering if you'd mind picking something up for me after your run today?"

"What run?"

"I thought you said you were working today?"

"Work?" Max looked confused until the realization hit her, "Dammit! Jam Pony oh god." Max looked at her watch, which told her she was running late.

"I gotta go! What do you need? Hurry up!"

"Just swing by Carr's office, he'll have it ready."

"Carr's office, Jam Pony, check! Okay bye!"

Max went jumping off the bridge and running towards the exit. Once she got out, she made it to her bike before she realized there was something hanging onto her waist. Looking down she saw a blonde head, the little Familiar looked up at her.

"Where ya going?" Ray asked innocently.

"To where I work, I'll be back in a couple of hours okay?"

"Can I come?"

"Didn't we talk about this?"

"But I'm bored," the miniature, bit sized Ames Jr. whined, "Please let me come? I've been there before. Everyone likes me."

Ray tried using his patented 'look at me I'm cute and adorable and won't interfere with anything' smile to try and get Max to bring him along.

"I--," Max's sentence was cut off by the use of puppy dog eyes, "I've gone soft."

Ray smiled and took his place in front of her on the Ninja.

  
^^^

"I knew it," said White as he watched 452 leave Terminal City with his son. He and a couple of his men were watching from a secure location with a direct view of the entrance to TC.

"We tracked him from Florida, sir," said Hayes.

"And his aunt?"

"Dead sir, killed in the car explosion."

"Good," said White. "Now to get my son."


	2. What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

 

"Hey, hey, hey, what'd I tell you about bringing your kid in here?" said Normal as Max and Ray walked into Jam Pony

"What? It's not like he can break anything," said Max walking past him, "and he's not mine." she hissed at Normal.

"Right. Says you."

"Hey, Uncle Normal?" asked Ray peeking over the counter, "can I yell at people too?"

"Y'know Ray why don't you come with me on my run?" said Max quickly.

"Well, I don't know let me think about this for a minute..." Normal brought his hand up under his chin, looking to be pondering his answer. Max's son wanted to yell at people, she didn't want him to, it would annoy her, and who could resist a cutie like Ray? Normal had decided that the kid must have inherited all of his father's good looks. He shook his head and sighed, assuming incorrectly that Max had been pregnant at 14.

"Well, why don't you come back here then? You can even throw packages at the unmotivated."

Ray happily went around the back and seated himself on top of the counter. Ray grabbed a package from behind and held it out to Max.

"Bip, bip, Missy Miss," said Ray smiling.

"We're going to talk about this," said Max taking the box and heading to her locker.

"Your baby goin' all Normal on you?"

"He's not mine," said Max, "but I didn't get him away from White just to give him to Normal to corrupt."

At that point a loud crash was heard. Turning around Max and Cindy saw some poor guy fall off his bike.

"I got him!" yelled Ray.

"That out to teach him to ride indoors!" said Normal marking something down on his clip board.

"I can't leave him here," said Max watching in horror. She knew the Ames side of Ray would come out eventually. Within Terminal City he was the leader of his little gang, and now he was being instructed to yell at people. Max hoped she'd be able to undo the damage done today by Normal.

"Come on boo, the boy will be fine."

Cindy led a panic stricken Max out of Jam Pony so they could start their run together.

"The faster you move the faster you get him back Missy!" called Normal after them, upon seeing Max speed up her pace he turned to Ray, "if she finishes her shift early you should stop by more often."

Ray smiled and tossed a package at another worker, hitting him in the head.

"Good aim," said Normal looking impressed, "Max is your mother isn't she?"

"Yup," said Ray smiling.

"I knew it."

 

^^^

A couple hours later, Max returned to Jam Pony to pick up her alleged "son"

"Come on I gotta pick up something for Logan," said Max getting on her Ninja, Ray climbed on shortly.

"I like your work, it's fun."

"It's only fun because Normal let's you be the boss."

"Yup, now bip!"

Max rolled her eyes, he was going to be saying that for a couple days now...

 

^^^

"There she is sir," said Otto, he and White had been parked outside Jam Pony for an hour now.

"Good, follow her."

^^^

The trip across the city to Carr's office didn't seem too long. Mainly because Max had Ray with her, the boy talked endlessly about all he did at Jam Pony while she was away. When they arrived, they both got off the bike and went in.

"So what am I picking up?" asked Max.

"Uh, just this," said Carr handing Max a small box.

"What is it?"

"How are you doing Ray?" Carr asked the boy, ignoring Max's question.

"Good."

"TC's radiation not making you feel dizzy or anything."

"Nope."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah, so I'll be getting this back to Logan, thanks for...whatever this is."

"No problem, and maybe remind him of his appointment tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Max and Ray made their way out of Carr's office and were approaching the front doors. Max glanced up from Ray, her eyes widened as she spun Ray and herself around real quick.

"Hey!"

"You know what Ray? How about we go around this way?"

"Why?"

"Uh, we could, it's a game," said Max, "you wanna run? I'll race you!"

Max and Ray stared running in the opposite direction of the door's. From the front, White and Otto could be seen walking closer to the building.

 

^^^

Max had gotten Ray out the back of the building and back to her Ninja without seeing White, she decided to drop Ray off at Terminal City where he would be better protected before going to Logan's.

"We gotta problem," said Max waltzing in through Logan's door.

"Max? Is that you?"

"Who else would it be?" asked Max, she found Logan sitting at his computer like always.

"I saw White at Carr's office." Max tossed Logan's package at him absently.

"Why was he..."

"I don't know! Maybe he knows Ray's here, or God! What if he followed us there? What the hell happened to my instincts?"

"Max this is bad, if White knows where Ray is," started Logan, "I knew we should have found him a foster home, somewhere preferably overseas...just let me make a call...."

"What? Excuse me? What are you doing to Ray?"

"I'll find him a good family away from Seattle..."

"No! You, you can't!"

"Max he'll be safe."

"He's safe with me."

Logan sighed, he had been afraid of this. The time Ray and Max spent together during the drive from Florida to Washington, and the months he's already spent here. Max had somewhere along the line had developed motherly feelings for White's son. There would be no use talking her into letting him go, she wasn't going to let anyone take him now.

"Look Max if White finds you..."

"So, I'll...I'll adopt Ray! I'll adopt, can you get me papers? If he doesn't kill me, I'll fight him...well, legally."

"Woah, woah, woah, let me get this straight," said Logan readjusting his glasses, "you want to adopt Ray White?"

"Yes."

"Ames White's son?"

"Yes."

"You want to be Ray's mother?"

"Yes."

"You want to be the mother of Ames White's child?"

"Yes!"

Logan raised an eyebrow at her last answer. Max, having just realized the dual meaning of Logan's question and snapped out of it.

"Ewww, not like that Logan, I want the child he doesn't have!"

Logan's other eyebrow raised.

"You know I meant Ray."


	3. No! We're not like that!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

  
After some more arguing with Logan, Max had walked out on him in a huff. She was going to head back to TC to talk to Ray about this and get his opinion on the matter. If she was going to adopt him, he might as well know. Besides, they couldn't hide him from White forever, the boy was bound to want to see his father someday.

And ever since The Coming got smashed to pieces and Eyes Only exposed the Familiars, they were forced into helping the Transgenics to ensure both their species survived. The heat from the three sides had died down to a quiet simmer. As it turned out, for every one Mutant Hater, there were three Mutant Rights Activists. Who'd have thought? With equal rights guaranteed and somehow enforced, the three sides managed to come to a comfortable stalemate, though no one was on very good terms yet.

As Max drove through the gate at Terminal City, she saw Ray and a couple X8's climbing down from the roof, hopping on the lower metal levels on their way down. Ray waved to the young transgenics and ran to catch up with her.

"Hey hon," said Max getting off her precious bike.

"Hi." Ray wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a big hug.

"Well it's nice to se you too....hey, Ray, I gotta talk to you about something okay?"

"What is it?"

Well..." Max crouched down so she was eye level with the boy, "see Ray, I was thinking that maybe, I um...well, could or would uh....how would you feel if I adopted you?"

Ray stared at her for a couple seconds before his face broke out in a huge smile.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah, I do mean it."

Before she knew what hit her, Max was knocked flat on her ass by a little blonde Familiar as he know sat in her lap hugging the hell out of her.

"Does this mean that I can call you mom now?"

"Uh, how about we stick to Max now, and maybe we'll work up to that."

"Oh, okay, when are you going to adopt me?"

"Well, I was thinking if you want we could go down to the Court House today?"

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

Ray was half way to Max's bike before she even knew he was gone. Smiling slightly and then sighing Max got up and made her way over to her Ninja, wondering what to tell Logan...she had said that she'd sleep on the idea before doing anything...and then there was the obvious confrontation with White that was sure enough to happen. But what Max didn't know was how soon that confrontation would be...

  
^^^

  
Things at the Court House went smoothly, the papers were signed and done away with. The day couldn't have gone better for Max, well walking out on Logan wasn't exactly perfect but he just didn't understand. everything from getting to Terminal City to the Court House went great until...

"Dad!"

"What?" Max choked out, looking ahead she saw a smug looking White approach them. Before she could grab Ray he was already barreling towards his father.

'Dammit, dammit, dammit...' Max mentally berated herself, when the hell did White follow her? Why didn't she notice? Dammit and now he has Ray...or not...

"Hey Ray." Ames knelt down so he was level with the boy and hugged him. He unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Ray was alive, he was safe, he was fine. He had saw him before at TC but this was different. He was here, he was solid. He had his son back...or did he? Looking towards the transgenic, he noticed she looked a little shocked, their eyes locked and Max crossed her arms and glared at him. He smirked at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" snapped Max before she realized Ray was right there. White stood and kept a hand on his son's shoulder as Max walked up to them.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here at the..." he waved at the building, "Court...House..." White just realized where they were. Why would 452 be at a Court House with his son?!

"452, why are you here?" asked White trying to think of all the reasons.

"I just adopted Ray," Max told him bluntly.

"Oh you just adopted,WHAT?!"

White's loud outburst caught the attention of a short, plump blonde woman who was passing by not so far away from them.

"No way I'm letting you corrupt him," said Max.

"No way I'm letting you contaminate him!"

Max and White stepped closer together and glared at each other. Both completely forgetting about Ray.

"Listen up you son of a..."

"You stupid bi..."

Ray cleared his throat loudly so that Max and White stopped and looked down at him. Shaking his head and then sighing in frustration, Ray grabbed onto both their hands. Max and White glared at each other once more.

"Um, excuse me, uh, yeah, hi," said the blonde woman approaching Max and White cautiously, "Hi, you probably don't want me involved with this, but my name is Robyn and I work at child services."

"Oh, wonderful," muttered White shaking his head.

"I couldn't help over hearing your argument...,"

"Then why the hell don't you stay out of it?" snapped White.

"You see what a bad temper he has?" said Max.

"Quit trying to kiss ass."

"Shut the hell up!"

"You see the kind of temper SHE has?" said White glaring at Max.

"Look I've seen this before, parents with children who've been through a nasty divorce..."

"Wait a minute..." started White, finally catching Robyn's drift

"Oh God," choked Max, "You think? NO! We're not like that!"

"Denial is often one of the most common reactions for most mothers."

"She is NOT..."

"Anyway," Robyn interrupted, "I just thought I'd let you know that there's a Family Retreat taking place tomorrow afternoon. It helps families who are on, well, uneasy terms with each other. Like in your case and it should help you all bond and discover the reasons why you two fell in love in the first place, and re-enlighten you about your marriage and the wonderful son you had together."

Max looked like she was going to be sick. She was looking at Robyn with a scared look on her face. The woman was insane.

White, on the other hand, had to try very, very hard not to pull out his gun and shoot the annoying bitch right there on the steps.

If looks could kill, Robyn would have been butchered with White's first glare. How could that woman assume that he and that, that...transgenic filth had actually...it made White sick just thinking about it.

"Anyway I have the brochures right here," said Robyn digging into her briefcase, "It's a week long retreat over in Donovan, we have everything a feuding couple like you needs to work things out smoothly. Relationship exercises, couples therapy, parenting classes, family time..."

"There is no way in hell..."

"We'll be there," said Ray grabbing the papers.

"WHAT?!" Max and White looked down at Ray who just stared up at them smiling innocently. Turning to Robyn he said, "everything's in here right?"

"Sure is sweetie, I'm glad you're taking the initiative to help your parents."

"Oh God," gagged White.

"We'll see you tomorrow then!" said Ray as he waved to Robyn as she left.

"Ray, buddy we gotta talk about this," said White hoping to talk some sense into his son.

"Yeah, I mean...there's no way we can do this," said Max, "I mean, we..."

"Jobs! We work, Ray please..."

"No, we're going," said Ray, "we can spend time together." The minuscule Familiar looked up at Max and White's pleading faces. They didn't want to this? Tough. If Max was going to be his new mommy, his dad had to like her, and vice versa. And Ray was going to make sure of it. Smiling at his plan, he would have to decide this for them. It was for the best anyway.

"We're leaving tomorrow, so Max, you should come over to the house tonight and stay so we can leave early. I'll see you then!" said Ray. He hugged Max briefly and then grabbed his father's hand and dragged him off the steps and to the car.

Max stood there in disbelief. When she finally snapped out of it, the realization of what had just happened hit her full force.

"Ohhhh,"she whined. How did this happen? And what the hell was she going to tell Logan?


	4. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"This is my problem, only my problem, Ray was my responsibility in which Logan has no say…" Max repeated as she headed up to the penthouse. She had already been to Terminal City to clear her absence for the week. It had gone better than she expected. Mole was happy to get rid of her, even if it was only temporary, so he could act as leader. Max was almost glad that Alec was out of the city.

"Now I'm just going to tell Logan what happened…or at least a heavily edited version of it…"

Taking a deep breath, Max walked into the high rise with her head held high. As soon as she walked through the threshold, all of her carefully chosen words fled. Leaving her with nothing. She was in the middle of the room when Logan came out of his computer lab, reading something.

"Max?" he said as he looked up, he wasn't expecting her so early. He thought she'd at least think about this adoption thing for a day and night. It was insane really. Fight White legally? He'd sooner put a bullet in her head and take Ray wherever. Max wasn't thinking straight this morning. With the possibility of losing Ray, she jumped at any conclusion she could come too. Logan was really starting to worry about her attachment to Ray. Wendy had wanted him away from White, and that was how it was going to stay. Logan had been busy trying to find a foster home for Ray, and he had found a good one in England. Max would just have to accept it.

"Max? Is something wrong?"

Max snapped out of it. Her worried expression must have shown on her face. What was happening to her? Where did the soldier go? Where was the stuck up bitch that she used to be? But deep down she knew. The bitch had been replaced by someone who learned to care, and the soldier had been replaced by long dormant maternal instincts. Even if Ray wasn't her own, it sure felt like it.

What was she going to say to Logan? She had completely forgotten her perfectly planned speech. What would she tell him 'yeah, Logan, I adopted Ray and then White showed up and then a social worker thought that we were a dysfunctional married couple and now she's sending us all on a family retreat together, I think it's going to be fun, what about you?' As if. He was going to freak out no matter what she told him. 'Yeah Logan, you see Ray's school is planning a camping trip and I have to go.' 'What? Max he doesn't go to school.' This just wasn't going to work. But if he's really that uncooperative I could always just touch him…Whoa! No! Bad, Max. Where had that thought come from?

"Max?"

"Um, Logan…"

"Max, I think we need to talk about Ray…"

"What about…"

"Look I know you were upset this morning and that whole adoption thing with Ray…Look Max, I found him a good home in…"

"What?!"

"Look, we can't keep him here in the city, White's going to find him sooner or later. I found him a good foster home in England he'll be safe there."

"England! You're sending him to England. You can't do that, you…"

"Max, white is going to find him. Where is Ray anyway? I called over to Terminal City just before you got here, they said he was with you."

"Umm…well, Ray's…outside?"

"Why would you leave him outside? You said White was at Carr's office, what if he's still tailing you…"

"I'm taking a week of leave," said Max hurriedly, "I won't be back till next Friday."

"What? Why? Where are you going?"

"Long story, don't ask, gotta blaze."

"Max!" called Logan, but she was already out the door. This was weird, something was going on and she didn't want him to know about it. Hoping that she wasn't using her transgenic speed to get down the building, Logan took off after her.

The X-5 was out of the building and almost to her bike when, Logan actually caught up with her. He purposely got in her way and wouldn't move (AN: Like in Hello, Goodbye)

"Logan move!"

"No, not until you tell me what's going on with you. You're not telling me something and…where's Ray?" asked Logan looking around.

"With Cindy?"

"Max what's going on?" Logan (who was getting even more suspicious by the second) got in her way again when she tried to sidestep him.

"Dammit Logan do you want me to touch you!?"

"Max what happened?"

"God Logan! If you really wanted to know I'm sure some Hover Drone got it all on tape. Ray's with White! He caught up with us and then some freaky social worker thought we were married, and now I have to go on some stupid trip with them. I am not going to lose my son!"

"Okay Max," said Logan as if he were trying to reason with a crazy person, "One: Ray isn't your son and Two: HE'S WITH WHO?!"

"It's not like I let him go! He was the one who pulled White after him and took the papers, and invited me with, and oh that sneaky little brat…"

Realization dawned on Max as she came to the conclusion that this was all Ray's doing. She doubted he was psychically communicating with his father but he was the reason she was stuck going on this trip. Social Workers could be very temperamental in this day and age. If Max and White didn't cooperate, the state could take Ray from both of them. Though the governor of California was a Familiar, Ray would probably just end up back with White anyway, or worse the Conclave. So Max had to go.

"So let me get this straight," said Logan after making Max tell him the story, "You adopted Ray, White showed up, a social worker thought you were fighting over child custody AND that you were married, she then proceeded to make you sign up for a Family Getaway, which you have to go on. Is that it?"

"I'm meeting them both tonight at the house."

"What house?"

"White's."

"Max this is insane and has gone on far enough."

"And exactly what the hell does that mean?"

"Look, the best thing we can do is re-kidnap Ray from White and get him on the first plane to England. See? Done. Nothing more to worry about."

"What do you mean nothing more to worry about?! Are you sure these people are actually going to take good care of him? Dammit Logan I can do all that!"

"For God's Sake Max, White has Ray, how do you know that they aren't half way around the world by now? And once again, you're not his mother!"

"Get out of my way."

"Max..."

"I said move, I'm going to count to three and if you're still standing there I can't be responsible if I accidently touch you."

"Max if you would just listen to reason."

"One."

"If you would just calm down for one minute and listen to me..."

"Two."

"Would you at least tell me where the hell you're going to be then?"

"I told you in Donovan. Three." and with that she walked straight towards Logan, who got out of her way. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd go through him.

"I love you Max," said Logan, but by that time the Ninja was already half way down the street.

^^^

Max had been driving for an hour to clear her head. Logan had upset her, like she knew was going to happen when he found out. She had to drive around, so she wasn't angry and snippy around Ray. The only downside to all this was White's presence, but then again what choice did she have? As she was thinking Logan's voice came back to her 'How do you know they aren't half way around the world by now?'

No, Max was sure. Ray wouldn't let anyone, not even his own father, go anywhere without her. She smiled to herself and continued on her way.

^^^

Fifteen minutes later, Max arrived outside White's house. Getting off her bike she noted that his car was in the driveway, that should be a good sign right? She went up the steps but before she could ring the bell, the door flew open. She was hit in the chest and fell down the steps to land on her back

"Oh, ow..." looking up to see what hit her, she shouldn't have been surprised to see Ray smiling down at her.

"You gotta stop doing that," said Max ruffling his hair.

When Ray finally got off of her, she was able to stand up and let the boy drag her into the house. White was leaning against the doorframe glaring as he did so often. He reluctantly moved aside as they approached. Max stuck her tongue out at him as she went past. White just rolled his eyes and followed shutting the door behind him.

  
^^^

"And this is the bathroom, and this is my room over here," Ray prattered on, dragging Max into his bedroom by the hand. The littlest White had dragged her all over the house. The living room, the kitchen, the backyard, the basement (which situated most of White's training equipment, punching bags, and weights), and then Ray had dragged her upstairs pointing out unimportant rooms, and then his, which was VERY important. It was great to be back in his house. Back in his room, he hadn't been there for a while. And while his Aunt Rebecca had been nice, it was better to be back with his dad.

Ray jumped on his bed and sat down on it.

"Wanna build a fort?"

"A fort?"

"Yeah, we could put pillows places and the blankets we can stick over in the drawers to make a tent, it'll be fun."

"Sounds good Ray," said Max smiling. She was still a bit upset with Logan when she had arrived but she forgot all about it as soon as Ray jumped on her. The kid was a sweetheart, but how? With a father like White? But Ray hadn't spent anytime in the Conclave except for the initiation, and Wendy must have taken more care of him than White ever did. There was no way Ray could have grown up so good with his father around. No way. No how.

Just as Max and Ray were starting to pull his bed apart, there was a light tap on the open door.

"Hey Dad!" said Ray running up to his father who bent down to hug his son. Max glared at White when she saw him mouth 'don't eat him' to her behind Ray's back.

"I'm going to be working in my study, so I'll see you in the morning right?"

"Yup, what time are we leaving?"

White sighed dejectedly and told him 11:00 before glaring at Max and mouthing 'don't steal him again.' He kissed Ray on the forehead and watched his sone run back to Max. With Ray's back still turned White motioned to himself, slide a finger across his throat, and pointed at Max who just pffft-ed at his silent threat. He had to bite his cheek from telling 452 not to 'contaminate anything' outloud. The boy had somehow developed a strange bond with the creature and was oddly attached to it. White shook his head as he closed Ray's door, this was going to be a looooong week....

  
^^^

An hour, a pillow fight, and several fort attempts later, Max and Ray sat under their makeshift fort on the floor between Ray's bed and small bookcase. Pillows and extra blankets had been thrown under them to make the floor more comfortable than just the rug.

"Hey Max?" asked Ray.

"Yeah?"

"How'd you meet my dad?"

Max froze, she wasn't expecting Ray to ask about that! what was she supposed to tell the eight-year-old Familiar?

"Uh well, Ray...what do you know about your dad's job?"

Ray shrugged, "He kills transgenics."

Max's eyes widened in surprise. That was definitely NOT the answer she was expecting!

"Uh well, it was two years ago, I had just re-escaped Manticore and was helping some X6's when I got caught by uniforms and brought to your dad."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Can't you tell me everything?"

"How about I tell you a story instead?"

"What kind of a story?"

"A story about a princess and all her brothers and sisters."

"Okay."

Half way through the story, Ray fell asleep, he looked so cute lying there. Max pulled up a quilt and put it over him. Looking around, she started running her hand alone the spines of Ray's books in his bookcase to her left. That was when one of them caught her attention. Pulling the blue binder out of it's proper space she saw it was a photo album.

Opening it up, a small smile played on Max's lips, when she saw baby pictures of Ray. He was just a chubby little ball, and extremely cute. There was one of him sitting up and smiling in a high chair, and another of Ray all curled up, sleeping on a pillow. Max turned the page and stopped. She almost didn't recognize him. It was White. He was crouched down close to the floor, holding a baby Ray by the hands, helping him to walk. But what really shocked Max was his smile. It wasn't a scowl, or his usual smirk, but a full smile. It made him look a lot younger, and kind of...handsome...

NO! She did NOT just think that! Max tossed the book across the room shuddering. Shaking her head and then taking a couple of deep breaths, Max looked back over to Ray. She crawled out of the fort to go and retrieve the album, bringing it back with her, she settled in her original position and opened it to the last page.

It was a picture taken in the fall, Ray looked about 4 or 5, he was playing in a pile of leaves with his father, who was once again smiling. And for the first time, Max actually saw the resemblance between father and son. Looking over at the tiny Familiar sleeping beside her, Max wondered how someone who looked so much like White could be so cute.


	5. Damn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

Rays of light shone through the curtains in White's room. His eyes slowly opened and as things came into focus he scowled at the rising sun before rolling over on his stomach and pulling the covers over his head. White sighed under the covers and remembered the almost pleasant yet horrid dream he had had. In the dream Ray was actually home. He was asleep in his room right now. The bad part was that so was 452. And somehow they had all been railroaded into going on a stupid family trip…

White bolted upright in bed, flinging of the blankets. It WAS a dream right? Let's see: following 452 and Ray. No, too clear of memory, meeting them at the court house…no, that bird bitch who couldn't mind her own damn business…oh crap he remembered that too. Ray dragging him home and 452 showing up on his doorstep…oh God no…

Quickly but quietly, White got out of bed and headed to Ray's room. The door was closed like it was whenever he was sleeping. After 452 kidnapped him, that door was never shut…opening the door and looking in, White couldn't see anything due to a…makeshift fort…he leant against the doorframe, he and Ray used to do that all the time. A small half smile appeared on White's face. The only person who could make him act like five year old again was Ray. Whether it was swinging him through leaves, or playing 'horsy' Ray always got the best of him. With a slight frown White remembered 452 was here as well, her scent was all over the house as well as in Ray's room. Shaking his head and moving from the door, White crouched down and looked under the blanketed entrance.

What he saw had him torn between disgust and predilection…452 was lying on her back, pretty much spread eagle, and Ray was curled up to her side resting his head where her arm met her shoulder. It might have made a cuter picture if Ray had been cuddled up to anyone else but the creepy transgenic. But what made her creepy? Was it because she was built in a lab? Spliced with things that no one should ever be spliced with? Or maybe because his own father had cared more about her than his own son…

White shook that out of his head. Sandeman could go to hell for all he cared.

This thing with him and 452 could only end in disaster. Why the hell was he actually going through with this? He should have shot that woman on the steps, that'd teach her a lesson. White grinned at the idea and pondered wistfully what would have happened. It would most likely have been caught on Hover Drone tape, be seen by witnesses, but he could think of something to cover his ass, couldn't he? Of course he could, he was Ames White after all.

White let out a sigh thinking about the day ahead. He was going to be stuck in a car with 452 for three hours. And then they'd probably stick him in a hotel room with her. That could never be good. And for a week too! How the hell were they going to get through parenting classes, which he totally didn't need, anger management classes on the other hand…Oh, and couples therapy that was going to be fun. He couldn't imagine himself sitting through that with 452, what the hell were they supposed to make up? They were definitely NOT a couple, never married (shudder) and she did not bir..bi…birth…his son, White shook his head hard to get rid of all the mental pictures he was subjecting himself too. This was going to be too much. They were going to kill each other come Day 3 if not sooner. Robyn had no idea what kind of relationship she was sending to her therapist buddies. Maybe he and 452 should just be themselves, and drive the councillors insane. It would be kind of funny. But no, he read the pamphlet Ray had taken. If they were too dysfunctional and didn't try to cooperate, the bastard state could take Ray and put him in foster care, where that bastard Eyes Only would find him and send him to…to…England or somewhere…that bastard.

White was about to get up when he looked back at Max. She was sleeping. Her breathing even, heartbeat steady. She had actually fell asleep in the same house as him? White thought for sure she'd be up all night anticipating an attack of some kind. Maybe it was Ray's influence on her, the whole trust thing. How Ray trusted either of them he'd never know. This was probably the second time White actually got a good look at Max. Without it being dark, hurried, or he was hating her so much and glaring that he didn't get a good look, or just didn't care to.

The first time was when they first met. Her in the cage where she belonged and him on the outside looking in. But what was that hand on hip 'come and get me' look? Shrugging, White decided to poke her in the cheek just because he could. She was pretty for a freak; he'd admitted it before so why bother denying it now? And she was unnaturally soft, kind of nice though. White was a little surprised when she sighed and turned her head towards his touch. Hm, weird. Getting up, he headed to the washroom to burn his hand with scalding hot water and soap.

^^^

Max moaned and stretched as she woke up, her back was sore. Why had she fallen asleep on the floor? Taking in a deep breath, Max smiled to the smell of bacon cooking, hmmm that was nice of Cindy…wait a minute…Max's eyes shot open, she was lying on her back on a floor with a blanket roof. And there was something on her shoulder. Looking over she saw Ray's head leaning against her. Where was she? Oh yeah, White's place, but if this was White's place that meant that…he was cooking?! White cooks? Since when? Well okay so she never got around to asking him about his culinary skills when he was trying to kill her, sort of destroys the mood you know? Max whined softly, she was going to starve or he might take pity on her and give her food.

'Bastard probably put Rat Poison in it though…' she thought wrinkling her nose. Trying hard to not wake Ray, Max moved him off of her shoulder and climbed out of their fort. Mmmm…bacon, the last time she had it had to be years ago, you never forgot that smell…and speaking of smells, Max breathed in. White. His scent was in the room, but then again why wouldn't it be it was his house. No, he was in here when she was. Not too long ago either. Bastard probably did something to her…shuddering and put the thought of White doing anything to her, Max quietly exited the room and made her way downstairs.

When Max walked into the kitchen she immediately stopped in place. White was at the stove actually cooking, but this had to be the first time she's ever seen him so…underdressed. The only other time he wasn't wearing a suit was when they first met. Somehow Max never really pictured White as a plaid man. He was wearing red and grey plaid pajama pants, she didn't think he owned anything but black or navy. She also didn't think he owned any t-shirts either, but there it was and did he have a grey trend happening or what? Guess he's not one for cheery colours; the red was probably just symbolic for blood or something like that. Max had to suppress a giggle as a thought came to mind. White didn't look very intimidating in his pajamas and spatula in hand. In fact if she'd known she was going to see this, Max would have brought a camera with her. The transgenics at Terminal City might get a kick out of it and then Logan could put it on a Streaming Freedom broadcast (and if not she'd find a way to get it on TV).

"You just going to stand there staring or are you actually going to say something 452?"

"What were you doing in Ray's room?" demanded Max, it was the first thing that popped into her mind that she could fight with him about; she shouldn't have been surprised that he knew she was there. He was a Familiar after all.

"This is MY house, and Ray is MY son, I go where I please," said White, "plus I had to make sure he wasn't a mangled, bloody mess in case you got hungry during the night."

"I wouldn't eat Ray! And unlike you I don't eat people."

"So I'm a cannibal now am I?"

"Well you're already a psycho, inbred, serial killer so why not?"

"You flatter me 452."

"Go to hell," said Max, "you cook?"

"Since I was twelve."

"Didn't think Familiars taught that in school."

"They don't," said White, "I learned on my own thank you very much."

"Are you any good?" asked Max looking around the kitchen.

"Guess you'd be hungry after not eating my son then?"

"You-"

"Breakfast!" yelled Ray as he ran into the kitchen, "Is it done yet?"

He ran past Max and flew into a chair at the table looking around expectantly for his food to be served, which it was.

Besides talking with Ray about trivial things, Max and White spent the rest of breakfast glaring at each other from across the table. Ray had seated himself at the head of the table with his father and adopted mother on each side of him. Which made them sitting directly across from each other. Besides the glaring breakfast was good, White was actually a very good cook and the food, as far as Max could tell, wasn't poisoned. She had caught Ray sneaking strips of bacon from her plate as well as White's.

"So when are we leaving?" asked Ray.

"Eleven, so you better be packed and ready by then," said White.

Ray nodded, "What are you going to do with your bike?" he asked Max.

"I'm leaving it at home, I'll drop it off when I pick up my bag."

"What are you going to do, walk back?" asked White then winced slightly when Ray kicked his leg under the table.

"We'll pick you up on Clarence and third," said Ray. The corner was a couple blocks from Max's apartment. Smart kid.

"Hey Max," asked Ray, "Does Normal know your leaving?"

"OC'll tell him for me."

"Well like what would she say?"

"Well, um…"

Normal. Max had been so preoccupied she didn't remember to clear her absence with Jam Pony. TC was cleared. Logan could shut up, but Normal was going to fire her.

"I'll tell him you have to come, we can stop on the way out of town."

"Who's Normal?" asked White. Why would 452 need permission to take off? Unless it was from that delivery dive she worked at. The look on her face now was priceless. She had that 'Oh God' look on her face, like it was something she really didn't want to do.

"He's Max's boss, I like him. He let's me throw things at people..."

Max moaned when Ray started talking about Normal. What was now even worse was that White was getting an amused smirk/smile thing going as he listened to his son tell him about hitting people with packages and yelling at slackers. Max pushed her plate out of the way and slammed her head down on the table. Ray kept chattering on.

^^^

"I feel for ya boo," said Original Cindy as she watched Max pack. The X5 had told her best friend everything the moment she and her Ninja were in the apartment.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," said Max, "With White of all people!"

"Well he is your baby's daddy."

Max turned to Original Cindy and gave her a scared look, "Don't EVER say that again, ugh." Max shuddered 'her baby's daddy' Gross, gross, gross.

"And now you gotta go see Normal?"

"Why couldn't you tell him when you go in this afternoon?"

"Hey you already said that Ray be takin' you there, he wanted to say bye to Normal too?"

"Ray actually likes Normal, I swear with the throwing and yelling, I think the Familiar in him might be starting to emerge."

"Or the Mini-Normal."

"Let's not go there again."

"You sure you be aiight?"

"I'll call you in a few days," said Max, "But if you don't hear from me in eight then I'm either..."

"Dead or captured, you drilled that into Original Cindy's head when you first walked in."

"Okay," said Max zipping up her duffle and slinging it on her shoulder, "How am I gonna get through this week?"

"By watching Ray and that extreme cute factor of his and ignoring White."

"How? We're in parenting classes together and...couples therapy."

"Again, I feel for ya boo."

^^^

Upon giving the 'dead or captured' lecture to Cindy one more time and hugging her for the thousandth, Max headed out of her apartment and down the street. When she got to the corner, White's car was already there. Ray was standing outside the car waiting for her.

"Hurry up we have to get to Jam Pony!" yelled Ray.

As soon as Max reached the car Ray got in the back seat, he shut the door, locked it and pointed to the front passenger seat. Max gave him an incredulous look, then stuck her tongue out at him before reluctantly getting in the front beside White. The kid was going to get it. Ray reached into the front to take her bag in the back with him.

'Why does my bag get to be back there with him?' she thought. Ray then pushed it to one side of the car and preceded to use it as a pillow as he stretched his entire body along the back seat.

'The things I do for this brat.'

^^^

Max sighed as they pulled up to Jam Pony, Ray was coming in with her in hopes of easing Normal into letting her go and to make sure she still had a job when they got back. They got out of White's car and headed to the entrance of Jam Pony. Normal caught sight of them the moment they walked in.

"I think I'm really starting to like this kid, you're actually here early."

"I'm not working today," said Max.

"Of course you are."

"No I'm not. I'm leaving for a week."

Normal stared at her then laughed, "Not if you still want to work here Missy."

"But she has too," said Ray, "we have to go to Donovan for a week for a workshop."

"What kind of a workshop?"

"Ray say 'good-bye' we're leaving," said Max trying to usher him out but he just kept on talking to Normal.

"It's a family workshop, Max is going to work things out with dad, they have parenting classes and therapy…"

"Therapy? Will this make your mother less prone to violence?"

"I hope so."

Max hid her face in her hands.

"Look Ray…"

"Pwease Uncle Normal?" Ray gave normal his best kicked puppy dog look, complete with teary eyes.

"What…happens if you don't go?" asked Normal trying not to give in.

"Then I lose Ray, would that make you happy?"

"Why would you lose your kid?"

"A social worker caught her and dad fighting," said Ray smiling.

"Ohhhh, this is one of those 'Family Retreat' things, I've heard about them," said Normal, catching on, "you don't go, state takes the kid and that'd be no good. Your package runs have been a lot more efficient every time he's been here, and he's good company…Donovan?"

"Yes," sighed Max.

"I had an aunt who lived there once, nice place. They have the greatest Blackberry jam there. A little shop called 'Petra's Floral' they sell jam and flowers. Pick me some up on your way back."

"You're letting me go?"

"You get to keep your kid, though missing work in the process, but you're gonna pick me up some jam so go before I change my mind."

"But-"

"Let's go Max," said Ray dragging her out of Jam Pony, "Thanks and Bye Uncle Normal!" he called.

Ray pulled them all the way back to the car.

"What the hell happened to you?" asked White when Max got back in the car. She looked a little dazed, like she couldn't believe what had happened. Ray was walking around the car to his side.

"Do you ever get the feeling that Ray's not as innocent as he seems?"

"All the time," said White, "He's my son."


	6. Donovan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"Are we there yet?"

"No," said Max and White in unison.

The first hour of the trip had been in silence, Ray had decided to fall asleep and leave Max alone with White. She had stared out the window, tried falling asleep like Ray had,

but then just decided to watch the scenery drag by nonchalantly. Two hours of boredom and silence until Ray woke up and started asking questions, especially the dreaded 'Are we there yet.' They were all bored, and by all she meant White and herself. Ray could find unlimited ways to occupy his time.

"I'm hungry," said Ray.

"You brought food," said White looking in the rear view mirror at his son.

"All gone."

White rolled his eyes and Ray fished a map out of his backpack.

"The map says there's a town up ahead, maybe they have a diner."

"Ray, we're an hour away from Donovan, you can wait."

"No I can't," said Ray kicking White's seat and then alternating to kick Max's.

"Hey why am I getting the same treatment?" asked Max.

"Tell him to stop I need to eat."

"You're just going to let him starve?"

"He's not starving 452."

"Her name's Max, why do you call her by a number?" asked Ray.

"Because she is a number. She was built in a lab where all the freaks were."

"But they're nice," said Ray, "and wouldn't we be freaks too?"

White's grip on the steering wheel tightened. Trust a Transgenic to warp an impressionable young boy's mind. He shuddered. Ray was climbing all over that trash heap, what'd they call it? Terminal City?

"Let me think…uh, no ray we aren't. We're perfect."

"Oh yeah, you and your freaky breeding cult rituals, probably howling at full moons."

"Better than being locked up but then again you lot are just that dangerous to need cages."

"Well you only have your father to blame for us Ames."

"Hey!"

"What about Grandpa?"

"You don't have a Grandfather," said White to Ray before glancing at Max, "He's dead to me and this subject never comes up again"

"Meow," said Max before looking out the window, once more bored to tears. She never thought arguing with White could actually be considered fun.

"I'm still hungry," said Ray, "and if we stop we can avoid the Retreat for at least an hour."

"I thought we were in a hurry to get there?" asked Max.

"Not anymore. Have you read the brochure?" said White.

^^^

There was, as Ray had predicted, a town up ahead and what do you know, it had a diner. Ray had started singing loudly just in case White decided to ignore him and drive right past it, his message was clear 'Feed me and I'll shut up.' So they pulled up into the lot and parked.

"Fran's," said Max reading the sign when she got out of the car.

"Looks homey," said Ray going ahead and into the diner.

White and Max followed him in. It looked pretty good for a small town diner. Hardwood floor and newly polished wooden tables and booths. The cashier's desk was right in front of them, no one was there until a young blonde girl came bouncing up behind it.

"Hi there, you folks are new in town."

"Yup we just drove in, Table for 3 please," said Ray giving the girl an extra cute smile.

"Well aren't you a polite young man."

The girl 'Sharon' as her name tag read brought them to a booth by a window, there was another a couple not too far away. Ray launched himself into the right side of the booth laying his entire boy over it so that neither Max nor White could sit beside him. White glared at his son while Max's jaw dropped. That little brat…

The Familiar and Transgenic glanced at each other before reluctantly sitting together. Sharon watched amused. The kid was definitely a cute!

"Is there anything I can get you to drink?" she asked brightly handing out the menus.

"Coffee," said Max and White simultaneously, "I mean, water's good," said Max quickly. White shook his head.

"I'll have…." Pondered Ray, "What's a peppermint twist?"

"I'm not giving you alcohol," said White.

"Oh, then I'll have a…Pepsi."

"Ok then I'll go get your drinks while you look over your menus," said Sharon, "Would you like to here the specials?"

"We're fine, thanks," said White.

As Sharon left their drinks, Ray looked at Max and his father, "So," he said casually opening his menu, "what looks good?"

^^^

After everything was done and paid for, the trio headed to the exit. The couple that they saw earlier were at the phone booths by the door.

"So we got an hour before we get there right?" said Ray.

"Yeah."

"What hotel are we booked in?"

"The Delta," said White, "There holding the 'meetings' in the conference rooms blah, blah, et cetera."

"So you know everything that's going to be going on there?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised 452."

"You know..."

Max and White were too busy getting into another argument that they didn't notice the woman who came up next to them.

"Hi there! Excuse me! Sorry to bother you nice people and I didn't mean to eavesdrop but are you all going to the Retreat up in Donovan?" asked a portly cheery eyed woman. With her were a man and little girl, most likely her husband and daughter.

"Uh, yeah why?" asked Max.

"Oh well now, isn't that a coincidence, we're headed the exact same way. I'm Katrina, this is my husband Eugene and my daughter Rosalyn," Katrina grabbed Max's hand in a firm handshake. White took this moment to back away from Max and the Valium Lady, no one should ever be that happy...and what with the permanent smile?

Katrina continued to talk non-stop to Max, the woman talked very fast. Pretending to pay attention (Katrina was off on so many tangents that Max had no idea what she was talking about) the transgenic looked over to the woman's family. Her husband Eugene was her complete opposite. While she was short and robust, he was tall and very skinny with thick glasses. He seemed quite shy and had a hand on his daughter's shoulder. The girl was about Ray's age, and had acquired her mother's size. Her blonde hair was in two pig tails with really cute pink bows. She smiled when Max made eye contact with her and mouthed 'she talks a lot' while nodding at her mother. Max suppressed a grin and looked back at Katrina.

"Oh now isn't he a sweetheart," she said noticing Ray, "And oh look at me! Rattling on like this I haven't even given you a chance to introduce yourself!"

"Oh, um, I'm Max.."

"Max, is it short for Maxine? That's such a pretty name!"

"Thank...you, and uh, this is Ray and Wh-Ames."

"Well it's nice to meet the two of you," said Katrina then turning to Max, "You have such a handsome son, takes after his father I see."

Max's eye twitched. She had realized in the car that everyone at the stupid retreat were going to think that she and White were married. And that Ray was theirs. Together. Her and White's son. Together. Shudder.

"And by the looks of him, quite the catch too," she whispered conspiratorially to Max and nudged her in the side, "Hard to believe you only have one child, if I were married to him...".

The X5 had to bit down on her lip hard from reacting. Even though it was quietly said, White still heard it and slammed the back of his head into the wall behind him.

"Well, I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of each other in Donovan. I'm sure I've taken up enough of your time, but we'll see you later! Bye-Bye!"

Katrina and her family left the diner and after a few minutes drove off towards the city.

"I'll be in the car," said Ray going out the door and leaving Max and White alone together. they both just stood there looking equally dazed and scared.

"Just kill me now," said White.

"Not until you kill me first."

"But if I kill you then who's going to kill me?"

"You'll figure it out," said Max.

"I don't want to go," said White.

"I know."

"What'd I do to deserve this?"

"You really want me to answer that?"

"I hate my life."

^^^

For the next 50 minutes, Ray (once again) chatted happily to everyone. They were ten minutes from Donovan and Ray wouldn't shut up. It seemed the food had perked him up, White guessed it was from the caffeine in the Pepsi or someone had drugged his son's food. The mini-Familiar talked about everything and anything. Terminal City, Jam Pony, cultural differences between Transgenics and Familiars and why they're all better off getting along. And then the kid started talking about the Retreat and Katrina.

"She looked nice," said Ray, "Do you think all the people at the Retreat are like her?"

"God, I hope not," muttered White, he saw the way that woman had looked him over, and he did not like it one bit. It was unnerving, he'd almost prefer 452 looking at him like that...NO! God no...eww...what the hell was he thinking? He did not want 452 lusting over him, it was just...sick. Besides she'd never touch him anyway....

"I think most people there aren't going to be as happy as she was," said Max.

"Why not?"

"Well you see," Max paused she turned to look at Ray suspiciously, "How much do you know about this retreat?"

"It's where they send problem families so they can learn to get along," said Ray happily, "I wonder what's wrong with Katrina's family. She seems really...perky."

"I want some of that Valium," said White, "I'm not going to make it through this week."

"You're not the only one."

"What's Valium?" asked Ray.

^^^

Twelve minutes later, White's Lincoln pulled into a parking space outside the Delta. The hotel was huge for a small town, but maybe people liked getting out of the cities to come down here. There were trees all around the building, climbing pink flowers along the pillars beside the walk way up to the door. The three walked into the hotel, luggage in hand. There were a few people scattered here and there, more were in the bar/cocktail room to the left of the lobby.

"Hello there!" said a thin girl with curly red hair, "Hi you're here for the Retreat right?"

"Yup," said Ray.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Christina," she said shaking their hands, "I'm running the retreat this year, so I'm very excited about it. We've had many happy successes in the past, I just hope I'm as good as councellor as the others were!"

"You're a councellor?" asked White, the girl looked no more than eighteen.

"I'm a junior councellor, I work mainly with the kids but I also do the meet and greet along with the orientation. And you'd all be under?"

"White."

Christina looked down her clip board, smiled, and marked them off. She reached over to the table beside her, took a file, and handed it to White.

"This is the schedule and timetables for all of the classes, the hours and instructors are listed. As well as this there will be intercom notices reminding everyone so nobody can forget. The orientation is tonight at seven in Conference Room B so you have about four hours to unpack, settle in, and maybe go look around the place. After the orientation and the other couples meet everyone then we'll have dinner and you can go back to your suite, and we'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning!"

The girl gave them a big smile then went to greet another couple that was just arriving.

"Great, this ought to be real fun," said White.

"Where's Ray?" asked Max suppressing a slight smile and looking around until her eyes landed on the receptionist's desk..

"Hi, excuse me!" said Ray. Max and White looked at each other, the boy was already at the front desk while they were still standing near the door. Fast Kid.

"Well hi there, what can I do for you sweetie?" asked the woman at the desk, 'what an adorable little kid' she thought looking at Ray. He was peering over her desk, smiling at her. What a little Darling, but he was probably here for the Retreat.

"Uh, yeah, I'm here with my mom and dad and we're doing that Retreat thing, and we need a key. It'll be listed under 'White'."

The receptionist smiled at Ray and typed into her computer. Upon pulling up their reservation she handed Ray a key, "You're on the seventh floor, Room 214."

"Thanks," said Ray. He turned and walked towards the elevator while motioning to Max and White to follow him.

"I can't believe him," said White.

"My God," said Max, "He IS yours."

^^^

Since Ray had the key to the room, it also meant he was the first one in. Suite 214. Just like the hotel itself, the room they had been given was expansive. The colour scheme in the room were mostly soft grey hues and cream. Two large balcony windows framed the living room directly in front to them. The kitchen was to the right and back complete with dining table and in an inlet hallway...two bedroom doors opposite each other.

"It's pretty," said Ray looking around.

"I've stayed in better," commented White.

Max pffft-ed and walked further into the suite. After looking around the living room she turned and saw three rooms, relief flooded her but hope soon died when she finally noticed that one was the bathroom.

"There's only two rooms," she said. The two Familiars looked in the direction she was facing.

"One on the right's mine!" yelled Ray as he made a dash for it.

"Hey!"

Max and White caught up to him just as he threw himself on the bed and started jumping on it.

"This isn't fair."

"Ray, son, we have to work something out."

"I got my room so what are you guy's gonna do?" asked Ray innocently not paying attention to either of them. He wasn't going to give up a bed to sleep on the couch. Ray might've been the smallest but a bed was a bed. And if they wanted one they'd have to share, cuz he wasn't moving.

Getting his meaning Max and White glanced at each other before the X5 went running towards the opposite room, trying to slam the door on White.

"Fuck No! 452 get the hell out!"

"Want to try and make me?" Max was pushing on the door with all her weight (which wasn't much) White had half his body through the door anyway. Ray just continued to jump happily on his bed, ignoring the shouts and profanity coming from across the inlet.

"Dammit open the door!"

"As if! Your welcome to sleep on the couch White!"

"I'm NOT sleeping on a couch for 7 fucking days!

"Well neither am I!"

White shoved against the door hard which pushed Max away from it. The door now stood open as Transgenic and Familiar stared each other down.

"So if I did this..." Max rolled onto the bed before turning onto her stomach and raising herself on her elbows, "I mean I'm on the bed, so it must be contaminated now, guess your stuck with the couch Ames."

"I really don't think so 'Max'," said White moving to lay just like the transgenic on the opposite side of the bed, "I'm NOT sleeping on a couch."

"And again I repeat neither am I."

"Well I'm not either."

"Well if you were more of a gentleman, which you aren't, you'd let the lady take whatever she wants."

"What lady? I sure as hell don't see one anywhere."

Max shoved White in the arm and he shoved her back, they were both hitting each other before they started fighting more physically, finally it got to the point where White grabbed Max by the arms and had her pinned beneath him.

"Hey have you guys seen the kitchen?" asked Ray coming into the room, while nibbling on a croissant. Max and White looked up at Ray and he looked back at them.

"Maybe I should just leave you two alone," he said backing out and closing the door, "I knew you'd work out the bed situation!"

"Oh God!" choked Max she could feel the heat rising to her face.

"Kill me."

"Do me first," she said before realizing that White was still on top of her, "I did NOT mean that how it sounded!"

"Sure you didn't."

  



	7. Orientation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

Max had left the room to look around the hotel about half an hour after the 'incident'. When she left, White was lounging on the couch and Ray was still jumping on the bed. Ugh, bed. Just that one word made her skin want to crawl. Max now had to think of what she had been avoiding ever since the fight with White. They were actually going to have to share a bed. Together. She also had to think about a VERY embarrassing slip. Max had definitely not meant how it sounded...

"Do me first," she said before realizing that White was still on top of her, "I did NOT mean that how it sounded!"

"Sure you didn't."

Oh God, she had wanted to crawl under a rock and die after that. Of all the people she could have said that to, it had to be White. Her nemesis, her arch-enemy. He wanted to kill her for fuck's sake!

Fuck. Do me. No.

Max shuddered and shook her head hard to get the mental image out of her mind. What the hell was wrong with her? First off, back in Seattle she had thought that White looked kind of cute smiling and then the whole bed thing but it was true she had not meant for that statement to come out the way it did. Just because...no, she was NOT going there!

Max found a bench and sat down, putting her face between her hands, she sighed.. This entire trip was a disaster, a mistake...the only way to keep Ray. Max sighed. How on earth were they going to get through this? How the hell was she supposed to fake a relationship with White? Oh well, they had a week. They weren't expected to be perfect, they just had to improve. Which is exactly what they were going to do, they could still throw insults and bad mouth each other because they had the Couples Therapy sessions to attend. The week was going to be hell but Familiar and Transgenic would pull it off or die trying. Max was running her fingers through her hair when she felt a tug on her jacket. When she to her right, she saw a little blonde girl.

"Hi," she said.

"Uh hi," said Max trying to remember her, "You're Rosalyn right?"

"Yuhuh, you remembered!"

"Of course I did, uh, did you need something?"

Rosalyn nodded and held her doll tighter, "I was lookin' around an' I got lost, an' I didn't know anyone, an' then I saw you an' I came over."

"Come on then," said Max standing up and offering the girl her hand. She led her through the lobby and to the receptionist desk.

"Hi, could I get someone paged?"

"Yes you may, can I get the name please?"

"What's your last name?" asked Max.

"Levinson," said Rosalyn.

Max turned back to the receptionist, "Can you page Katrina Levinson down here?"

When the receptionist finished placing the page for Katrina she looked at Max for a minute then smiled.

"Hey aren't you the one that has the 'take charge' little boy?" she asked, "The one that walked right up here and then waved you and your husband to the elevator?"

"That was him," said Max trying to stop a smile.

"He's such a cutie, completely adorable. What's his name?"

"Ray."

"Such a sweetheart."

"He is, when he isn't manipulating his father and me."

"Ah one of those types, that reminds me of my nephew, Peter, he can get his parents into any situation by just making the saddest puppy dog face you've ever saw."

After making some more comparative notes between Ray and Peter with Beth, the receptionist, Max headed over to the circular couch the middle of the lobby where Rosalyn had seated herself. The designers had done a pretty good job, the couch was also a fountain. the sofa was rounded all along the fountain's edge, so you could turn and watch the dazzling streams of water shoot down from the top of the spout.

"Did you know if you look diff'rnt ways you can see rainbows in the water?"

"Reflections of the light spectrum, it's pretty."

"Why doesn't your son look like you?" asked Rosalyn looking up at Max.

'Because he isn't really mine,' thought Max, "Ray takes a lot after his father, they look a lot alike. It all has to do with genetics," she said.

"Oh. But why?"

"As I said it's all genetics and dominant genes, I don't think I can break it down-"

"ROSALYN DAVIDA LEVINSON!"

Rosalyn and Max turned to see Katrina running towards them, "My heavens we were so worried Rosie!" She reached her daughter and gave her a huge hug, "One minute you were there and the next you weren't. Oh Maxine! It's good to see you. Thank you so much for finding my daughter, it's great to see you again!"

Katrina had Rosalyn in one arm and pulled Max in for a hug with the other.

"Ueh, no problem," croaked Max, Katrina had quite a grip for an Ordinary.

"I knew I'd see you again here, but I didn't think it'd be so soon," said Katrina smiling once more, "Wow would you look at this place? Have you looked around at all yet? It's amazing. Oh! You have to see the back gardens, and the pool! It's amazing what the designer's did. Trees and foliage all around, it's almost like a tropical paradise! I don't think I've ever been in a hotel with so much class. It's amazing isn't it?"

"I've just seen my room and the lobby so far," said Max.

"Well Rosie and I could show you around the place, I know it front to back. Come on we'll give you the grand tour of all the places they'll let us into. Did you know that there are TWO pools here? The dining hall next to the kitchens over looks one of them, but the main one, of course, is much bigger and enclosed. Come on now we'll show you around, that is if you don't want to head back to your husband and son. Such a little darling, and I know if it were me, I wouldn't want to be away from that man for long," laughed Katrina, "Not that I don't love me Eugene, I do, he's the center of my world along with my Rosie. So how long have you two been married?"

Katrina linked her arm with Max's and began leading her around the lobby and into the lounge.

"Married?" faltered Max. Dammit how old was Ray?

"Of course dear, Eugene and I have been married fifteen years now, can you believe it?"

"That's a long time and uh, Ames and I…nine years, we've been married for nine years."

"And your little one's about Rosie's age around eight right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well I can see the two of you wasted no time in starting a family. How long did you know each other before hand? Oh and what was your wedding like? Large ceremony, did you elope? Oh and how did you get engaged?"

Max's mind sagged under the weight of Katrina's questions. Wedding, engagement, these were things she hadn't thought about and now she was being forced to make something up. Max and White should have made a background up on the trip to the hotel. But no, silence and Ray's singing had prevailed. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You never go into uncharted territory without a basic cover story or something! Especially if you're working with someone. Dammit. The years she spent away from Manticore, not to mention looking after Ray, had made her soft. It seemed like all of her training was going out the window. Oh well maybe she'd still have time to sort out the details with White. Katrina was talking again, so hopefully Max wouldn't have to answer her questions.

"Isn't it lovely? I just love the design!" Katrina had led Max and Rosalyn through the lounge and into the side way to the restaurant. The theme was all jungle-ish; there were trees and plants set up all around. Moving further in, Max had to agree with Katrina, the design was quite nice. The restaurant was set up on the left with wooden tables and chairs, and to the right was a railing that separated the pool. There were openings in certain parts of the railing that led down a couple steps and over to the pools. There was a large main one, a kiddie pool, and a hot tub, all surrounded by more plants and greenery. The lights weren't heavy but almost dim and set a relaxing atmosphere.

"It is nice," agreed Max.

  
After that Katrina sheparded them around the rest of the hotel. Max now knew where everything was. They went through the conference rooms, the dining hall that the Retreat Members would be eating in together. They wandered the halls and the actual pool. Located in the eastern half of the hotel. There was the usual swimming pool and hot tub, and also a water slide. Max made a mental note to inform Ray, this was something that he'd most likely enjoy. Katrina also showed Max outside the hotel at the back. There were concrete paths winding into an eccentric forest design, further in there was a grass clearing next to a cottage.

"I hear that's where they're keeping the 'Discovery Therapist' locked up," said Katrina, "She's supposedly a new age hippie, calls herself 'Starshine Moonchild' ."

"Starshine?" said Max, "Do you know who all the therapist are?"

"Oh no, the only other one I know is Christina and she'll be working with the kids. I overheard some of the hotel staff talking about Ms. Moonchild," said Katrina, "Some people think I have a eavesdropping problem, but I honestly just over hear people, My mother always told me that I had very good ears."

After the outside garden, Max had seen every inch of the hotel. There was about an hour until dinner so Max excused herself from Katrina and Rosalyn ("Our room's 119, don't be a stranger!") to find her way back to her room. Max had to create a timeline and happening's lost with White. The made up details of their marriage etc. Hopefully these Retreat people wouldn't look for an actual marriage certificate, or Ray's birth certificate. If that happened it would be bad. Logan could…Logan. Max slowed down as her mind wandered for the first time since Seattle to the cyber journalist. He could fake the documents no problem, but they were currently on non-speaking terms. Max's rueful expression turned bitter when she remembered what exactly their semi-fight had been about. What the hell was his problem anyway? What was so bad about wanting to keep the little Familiar? What was he? Jealous?

Max stopped walking completely. Jealousy? Where had that come from? This is insane, this trip is insane and now Max was going insane. Logan jealous of who? White? As if. Ray for taking up most of her time? Well he was her-well okay not BIOLOGICALLY- but...Ray was her's, Logan could suck it up, she wasn't going to put Ray in foster care and she wasn't going to let White take him. And there was a whole new problem to this situation. What was going to happen once they got back to Seattle? Max wasn't going to let him take Ray and he wasn't going to let her take him either. This was not good.

"Hey mom!" Max's head shot up as she saw Ray running towards her. Mom? Had he called her mom? Looking at White's depressed form she knew it was true. The little Familiar slammed into her slight form and hugged her around the waist.

"I just thought I should try that out, I'd be a little weird if I called you 'Max' now wouldn't it?" Ray smiled and waited for his father to catch up to them. He grabbed both their hands and led them to the elevator.

"Oh and I think you two should get your stories straight, cuz people are going to ask about you," said Ray.

Max was shocked, though she knew she shouldn't be. There were getting to be fewer and fewer things that Ray could shock her with. Both she and White knew who the mastermind of this little operation really was.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Max before turning to White, "I got cornered by Katrina so we've been married for nine years."

"Nine years? How are we supposed to make up nine years of God-know-what?"

"Well she specifically asked for: What our wedding was like, how you proposed, how long we knew each other before hand, and Ray's eight so...you know..." said Max looking away from White. But the 'you know' wasn't the only reason she looked away from. Compared to how she and White usually met, his simple jeans and black t-shirt showed off a lot more of his physique and well, it was a lot nicer than Logan. Hell, he was fitter than Alec. Now all Max had to do was ignore a certain part of her mind that was going to very bad places. Places no transgenic should ever go to. Stupid Familiar, he probably co-conspired with Ray, but as she looked back over at them White was glaring at Ray as the boy tried o muffle his laughs, and was failing miserably.

"Okay so *snort* how'd you *giggle* get married?" asked Ray. Max and White looked at each other.

"In a minute," said Max, "you proposed to me so...how'd you do it honey?"

"Well 'dear'," said White, "I uh...proposed to you..."

"In the bath tub," said Ray before Max and White shoved their hands over his mouth.

"Ray, what the hell?"

"You have a dirty mind you know that kid?"

"I bvus iying oo elp."

Max and White then noticed that their hands were on one another's and immediately uncovered Ray's mouth.

"See you can't do that," said Ray.

"Do what?"

"What you just did, if you avoid contact or flinch away then no one's ever going to believe that we're one big happy family and then you'll lose me."

"I seem to remember you setting all of this up," said White.

"It's so you two can learn to get along."

"And what if we don't want to?" asked Max.

"Tough cookies lady."

Max's mouth dropped as the elevator door opened. Ray pulled his 'parents' out into the lobby and to the Conference Rooms (after asking if anyone knew where it was).

"So what's your cover story?" Ray asked.

"Married nine years, we eloped?"

"We eloped."

"Were we running?"

"I had a jealous boyfriend," said Max thinking spitefully of Logan. How dare he try and send Ray to England!

"Who moved to Canada."

"When did you get pregnant with me?" asked Ray

"Uh...two months after the wedding."

"My birthday's February 16th so you were married in March and we all settled down in Seattle."

"Where did we elope to?" asked Max.

"Vegas?" suggested White.

"Good enough," said Max, "you proposed again how?"

"We were seeing each other behind your boyfriend's back, and I suggested we run?"

Ray tugged on Max's shirt, "How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-four."

"That would have made you sixteen when I was born."

"Well now besides murder let's add statutory rape to all the things I've done," said White.

Max pfft-ed at him and thought, "Think I could pass for twenty-eight?"

"You could pass for forty," said White, Max shot hm a glare.

"How long did you know each other before hand?"

"If they ask how long we'll just say 'a while'," said Max.

"Good enough."

"When did you know..."

"Enough with the questions kid," said Max.

"I'm just trying to prepare you seeing as how you two didn't do it on the way here."

Max and White glared at him before making their faces neutral when they walked into the Conference Hall. There were tables set up in a circle, here they would have the orientation and then dinner together.

"Maxine!"

Max turned to see Katrina waving them over.

"Please no," said White looking anxiously over at Max. She just smirked at him and led them over to Katrina.

"I knew you'd be coming down sometime so we saved you seats."

"Thanks," said Max.

"It was no problem, why hello there!" said Katrina waving at White and Ray as they sat down beside Max. White nodded to her as Ray returned the wave. Soon after Christina stood up and started the Orientation rolling.

"Well Good evening to all of our guests, the manager here want to welcome you all to the Delta and encourage you to make yourselves and home. The rest of us are very glad that you all chose to participate in our Family Getaway where bringing families back together is what we live for. Our main focus here is on communication. Without communication relationships fail, all of you are hear because you have problems talking to each other, am I wrong?"

No one said anything.

"So during the course of this week, you will but into groups either couples or families and will go through a series of different sessions with our councellors. We want you all to be able to talk to each other and work out your problems positively. I'm Christina and I'll be working with the children in their sessions together, you'll all receive a timetable when you leave here and classes will start tomorrow. If you have any questions please see my self or one of the other councellors, which you will meet tomorrow, they unfortunately couldn't be here this evening."

"A hem?"

Christina blanched a little and looked to her right, a blonde woman with beads sewn into her hair, and a small set of glasses perched on her nose looked up at the red head.

"Oh yes," said Christina, "This is our 'Discovery Therapist' Sharon M..."

"A hem."

Christina sighed and lifted her eyebrows slightly, "I mean 'Starshine Moonchild'."

"Why helloooo everyone, I'm so happy to see you all," she said smiling.

"What is she stoned?" said White quietly. The corner of Max's mouth twitched up. White had pretty much summed it up. Ms. Moonchild seemed pretty damn euphoric. Her dreamy speech had consisted mainly of love and flowers or something...no one was paying attention. and they actually had to spend time with this woman.

"Seems kinda kooky doesn't she?" whispered Katrina.

"I'll say."

After Starshine was done talking Chirstina got back up looking quite ruffled and annoyed.

"So anyway, I'll now be going around the room with my clipboard to see if I have everyone's names right and so you sort of know who everyone is..."

Max and White tuned it all out, they could care less about the other people here, all they wanted was to get this done and go back to Seattle with Ray.

Let the games begin.

  



	8. Night and Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

  
Max and White had kept to themselves during the whole Orientation-dinner dealio. People were idiots and certain couples that were there made their working relationship look good. Which was scary. It was one thing for two enemies to try and kill each other on a regular basis but to try and kill your spouse? Well…maybe White knew something about that…but that's beside the point! Angie and Derek Pinscher (two very paranoid people) just couldn't get along; they fought the whole way through dinner. Derek had accused Angie of poisoning his drink when his back was turned and then she punched him out. This event started up "The Gossipers" as Max had dubbed them.

Lupé, Jenny, Michelle, and Gertie had bonded immediately while their husbands rolled their eyes and gave each other sympathetic looks. Bianca Davidson was a chain smoker and alcoholic, her husband Joel wasn't going to support her anymore and she was holding their daughter above his head. And then there was Adelle and Vincent. They spent dinner as quietly as Max and White, watching the other couples.

delle watched with a bored expression and her demeanor just screamed that she was more superior than everyone at the table. Katrina had tried to start up conversation but no one was interested. She had just shrugged and stopped trying. The kids were watching each other warily, and their parents even more so, only Ray seemed to be completely comfortable. It was a relief to everyone when the dinner was over. Thankfully the only time they'd have to spend with these people were for their "classes". Room Service was a wonderful thing.

"All you Transgenics would have survived The Coming, after seeing those people you really think it was worth stopping it?" asked White, as the walked back into their suite.

"Shut up," said Max, she didn't have a retort and a small part of her mind agreed with him. But then that was the side of her brain that also wanted to…nevermind…

"Right."

"I think you two are going to have an easy time convincing people that you're married after Angie and Derek…"

"Where the hell did they find these people?"

"Bars?" suggested Max.

"So where are we going tomorrow?" asked Ray.

White took out a sheet of folded paper from his back pocket and read of their day, "Oh great, Discovery Therapy with the drug addict first thing in the morning."

"As if, let me see that thing!" Max grabbed the paper and White and groaned. Their first class was with Starshine Moonchild and then it was off to...

"Effective Parenting? What the hell is that?"

"How to parent your child well, just like it says, though you wouldn't know the first thing about parenting period."

"Oh and you do?"

"Ray was just fine for those first six years, he only became manipulative when YOU had him."

"Are you sure it just wasn't his genetic traits starting to show themselves?"

"Are you calling me manipulative?"

"I have a whole list of names that I'd like to call you."

"I'm standing right here you know," said Ray.

"Go to bed," said White.

"Don't break any furniture."

Ray headed off to his room leaving an exasperated couple behind him. The little Familiar was stuffed full of determination and cuteness, if he wanted something he was going to get it. And right now he wanted his dad and Max to get along. He knew it would take some work but after they got through the whole 'I hate you-want to kill you' phase of their relationship, Ray was sure that they would find out how similar they were. They were perfect for each other, even if they didn't know it yet. Picking a new mom had never been better.

^^^

"He is my son, not yours!"

"I got legal doc's proving otherwise."

"And another thing, how the hell did you get those? I'm not dead! And last time I checked you couldn't just go around adopting kids with parents."

"You were MIA for two years."

"All thanks to you."

"Did you know where Ray was?" asked Max.

"You mean Florida?" said White.

"You were responsible for his aunt's car accident weren't you?!"

"Would it make you happy if I admitted it 452? Oh and another thing, if you're hiding a kid from his evil murderer father why keep him in the States?"

"Because Eyes Only is a stupid bastard that can't do anything right!"

"Trouble at home 452?"

"How'd you find Ray anyway?"

"You think I'd ever stop looking? Ray's my son, I love him more than anything."

"Even your stupid Conclave?"

"Fuck the Conclave!" White flinched as he realized what he had just said.

Max was at a loss for words for a second and then things in her mind started clicking, "If you had to make a choice of Ray or the conclave…would you turn your back on them?"

"Don't go there," warned White.

"Pick one."

Max and White stared at each other in silence for what seemed like forever, neither blinking, neither giving in.

"Don't you EVER doubt my love for my son…is that understood?"

Max nodded and then decided to push her luck, White would either fill her in or close up about the whole subject.

"So if you'd turn your back on them for Ray…why do you hate Sandeman so much for doing the same for CJ?"

There, it was out. White knew she was going to ask that the moment his little slip came out.

"The Conclave wasn't the only thing he turned his back on," started White, "He turned his back on me. His own son, and that is something that I would never do to Ray. And that's also why I hate you freaks so much, he chose you over us, he would have rather played with his chemistry set than," he stopped, "You know this is really none of your business."

White walked past her into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Fine, but what is my business is why he created Manticore in the first place. All my life I've been trying to figure out why we were there. A whole lot of why's and no answers."

Max sat down beside him.

"It started out as a…small project," said White almost reluctantly, "The Conclave funded him to find a way to determine who would or would not survive the test, so they could try it at birth, kill off the weak without having to nurture them for years before the test. Sure enough he found a way but by that time he was going soft. He was half way there when my older brother took the test. He failed. I was four, CJ had just been born. To make a long story short, he was going soft, lied about the test, got clearance to create you freaks as test subject but along the way he was making you immune, once he was found out he ran. CJ was caught and forced to take the test. He didn't pass and he didn't fail either, Sandeman tweaked with his genes and the poison made him insane. Government took over Manticore started making super soldiers. He was always in contact with them looking for 'The One'. You."

"So why make those stupid markings in a language you're fluent in?"

"To throw it in our faces. Nice huh?"

"So thwart your Coming and everything's A-okay?"

"Yup."

"That's it?"

"Guess so."

"And all the while we're getting hunted down by humans and Familiars."

"Thought we had a truce or something now?" said White, "after your idiot boyfriend told the world about us."

"We do have a semi-truce, and he's not my boyfriend but he is an idiot."

"Thought he was the love of your life?"

"I'm not talking to you, of all people, about this."

"I told you about Manticore."

"Yeah the crappy version that I could have pieced together myself."

They looked at each other for a minute before White broke eye contact and sighed. He leaned back into the couch making himself comfortable. Max pulled her legs up under her and leaned on the armrest. Who knew a comfortable silence could fall between them. That is until white looked back at Max and opened his mouth

"So what'd he do to piss you off?"

"Drop it Ames."

"But you got me all curious now," he said starting to smirk.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"You're the cat 452, not me."

"He was just…just AH! He was just pissing me off about this whole thing with Ray, 'We should send him to England Max' and 'He'll be safe out of the country Max' and then he was completely against me adopting Ray…"

"I was against you adopting Ray."

Max hit White in the arm, "Would you just shut up and listen?! And then he found out about the Retreat and that you had Ray with you and of course he has to become 'Mr. Self-righteous I'm right and you're wrong, you can't go Max because I said so' so yeah Logan doesn't come up again in any of our fight-conversation thing's that we seem to be doing now. And you know now that I think about this whole situation we're in, I realize that it's completely your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yes your fault. If you hadn't found Ray and killed his aunt…"

"I did not kill Rebecca…I might have ordered it, but I was in Seattle when it happened. If word hadn't gotten to that loser Eyes Only, God knows how, I would have had my son and we wouldn't be here."

"So this is yours and Logan's fault. If you hadn't found Ray, killed his aunt, someone informed Logan, he told me, I went without telling him…"

"You went to get Ray without him knowing?"

"I had to beat you there didn't I? So anyway I got him, and during the time back to Seattle we…well, bonded. And then he followed me everywhere."

"He's an affectionate child."

"And manipulative."

"Like father, like son, it's all in the genes as you stated before."

Max couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips, "He owns us doesn't he?"

"Oh yeah."

Another silence fell around them, this one was tenser than the last, mainly because they both knew another conversation was going to have o come up.

"The couch seems nice," said White.

"Then you can sleep here."

"I was thinking that you could take the couch."

"Again I say no way in hell am I sleeping on a couch."

"Fine."

"Fine."

And with that they both got up and headed to the bedroom.

  
^^^

Ray sat on the floor of his room with his ear to the door.

'Wow,' he thought, 'Dad killed mom AND aunt Becky.'

The little Familiar shrugged, it's not like he cared anyway. Wendy just didn't understand what they were about, his dad had to kill her. No choice really, it was tradition, it was his heritage. And being a Familiar was something that Ray was proud of. He might be small for his age but he wasn't scared of anything. He was stronger than most adult humans and a lot faster too. He could keep up with the X8's quite easily and had no problems at Terminal City. Pain didn't really compute either, it still stung a bit, he was nowhere near his father's level of pain tolerance but he would get there one day. His dad was the strongest person he knew and Ray was determined to be just like him. Well accept for the killing transgenics thing. He knew it was his dad's job and personal agenda, but Ray liked the transgenics, he didn't know why The Conclave hated them so much. Oh well, to each his own and all that.

Hmmm…Aunt Becky, nice lady. She was just like his old mom, but she was boring…and paranoid. She was always looking over her shoulder for Federal Agents. That loser Logan had told her about what happened. Another person that didn't understand. Becky was an okay person to be with but he like Brookridge a lot better, it was fun. He learned cool stuff, languages, training the mind and body. It was really cool. But then Wendy had to get Eyes Only involved. Ray couldn't wait until Max left him for good. Maybe she and his dad would fall for each other. Impossible as it may seem, Ray was an optimist.

"Because Eyes Only is a stupid bastard that can't do anything right!"

Ray smiled at Max's outburst, and wow, his dad would leave the conclave for him. That's always good to know. And also how he never stopped looking. Once again Ray thought: Greatest Dad Ever.

He stayed by the door listening to their shouting turn to normal level talking. He could still hear everything pressed against the door though. they were actually being civilized without him in the room. And after only two days too! Ray smiled this week was going to be great! The little schemer jumped back when he heard footsteps getting closer. Ray ran quietly to his bed and tucked himself in, pretending to be asleep when the door opened.

^^^

"Is he sleeping?" asked Max as White closed Ray's door.

"Looks that way but I doubt it."

Max brushed past White and into the bathroom to change as he headed to their room.

"You could always sleep in the bath tub you know," he told her.

"Screw you," she hissed through the door.

White let out a little laugh before going into the bedroom. He was changed and in bed lying on his stomach when Max came in. The only light in the room came from the bedside lamp on White's side. Max fell onto the bed with a sigh, she turned on her side away from White who glanced over at her. Tank top, shorts…not bad for a freak…White cut off any dirty comment his mind was about to make by reaching over to turn off the light.

"Just don't roll over on me," said Max.

"No way I'm touching you if I can help it."

"Same here."

^^^

When White woke up he found himself on his back with 452 curled up to his side. Her back was to him, head resting on his shoulder and both her arms wrapped around his. The first thought that came to his mind was 'She's going to blame me for this.' Stupid Transgenic. White decided to wake her up, the clock on her night stand told him that they had a half an hour before their first class, Ray was lucky enough to be in the conference room with Christina and the other kids. He sighed and poked Max in the back, but the only thing it succeeded in doing was make her mumble in her sleep and tighten her grip on his arm. White rolled his eyes. If he tried to get up it would definitely wake her up, but then she's accuse him of 'trying to do something'.

"Come on wake the hell up." He poked her again would nothing wake her up? He thought the X5's hardly ever needed sleep. Must have spent all her energy keeping that freak show 'Terminal City' up and running.

"Wakey, wakey." He moved his arm and shrugged his shoulder hoping to dislodge her. but instead he only succeeded in making her roll over, her head on his chest and arm sprawled across his body.

"Fuck," swore White cursing their new position.

^^^

Max was disturbed from her slumber when she felt a poke in her back, it had woken her up enough to muttered something in her sleep, and unconsciously decide that she wasn't getting up. Wherever she was it was tepid and contenting. Another poke and she rolled over and splayed over her pillow. It smelled so good. Max was completely comfortable, her pillow was so warm and...moving. Why was her pillow moving?

"452?"

Max's eyes snapped open. Where the hell was her pillow? This wasn't a pillow she was lying on, it was someone's chest. Let's see..Alec in San Fransisco, fight with Logan, Ray, retreat...Oh. Hell. Turning her gaze upwards Max's eyes locked with White's. Why were they so close?

"Cozy?" asked Ray. Max and White jumped into an almost sitting position before looking at the foot of the bed to find Ray staring at them.

"I ordered room service, so breakfast is here when you're ready." He smiled at them before leaving the room.

"I didn't here him come in," said Max.

"Neither did I."

They were both still staring at the spot where Ray had just been that they didn't notice that were still in almost the same position as they were before. Max snapped out of it first and realized that she was still very close to White and her hand was resting on his stomach.

"What do you think this looked like to him?" choked Max.

"I don't want to know."

With a defeated sigh they both fell back onto the bed and groaned.

^^^

For the half an hour they had left to get ready, Max and White tried to avoid each other as much as possible before grabbing toast or a bagel on the way out the door.

"So why do I have to go off today?" asked Ray.

"Because that's how the scheduled it," said White.

"When's our family therapy?"

"Day 3."

"So what do we do tomorrow?"

"You want the time table?"

"Gimme."

White handed Ray the chart as they were all separated. Ray went off to the conference room while the adults were separated into two groups. White and Max followed the others out to the gardens. Once they got there Ms. Moonchild was already waiting for them.

"Well hello children of the Millenia, I am soooo pleased that you could make it," she said with that ever present dreamy look on her face, "Would you please take a seat in the sweet green meadow of our Mother Earth."

'This is going to be pure hell,' thought White.

Once the four couples were seated the 'discovery therapist' started addressing her 'class'.

"Once again I welcome you your inner discovery, here we will discover together the 'why' you are her the 'why' in which you came together, and the 'why' to the stirrings of your inner spirit. Let it fly, my children all of you fly."

By now the entire class was gaping at her, all but Gertie who seemed to be entranced and hanging on every word.

"My name if you didn't already know is Starshine Moonchild, you all may call me Starshine. I will be going around the circle now to ask you all: Gertie, Jeremy, why are you here?"

A huge smile grew on Gertie's face at having been asked first, "Oh well I'm here because our therapist recommended it actually, and because Jerry's always ridiculing me about..."

"Her 'Angels' EVERYTHING is about angels, there's highway angel's and parking angel's, and..."

"See? He's doing it again. There ARE angel's Jerry, they're all out there."

"And then there's her gossiping! She's always talking behind people's backs!"

"Well it's interesting," she whined.

"Moving on," said Starshine, "Lupé? Mark?"

"Our neighbours think we're unfit parents so we're here. End story," said Lupé.

"Very nice, Michelle? Shane?"

"No comment," said Shane.

"Oh come now there has to be a reason."

"Well..."

"NO, there's not," said Shane glaring at Michelle. Starshine didn't notice and flitted away from them.

"Maxine, Ames, why are you here?"

"Our son forced us on this trip. End of Story," said White as quickly as possible.

"Interesting all of you, each with a different reason for being," said Starshine dreamily, "I now want everyone to cross their legs and get into a meditative position. We will clear our minds, think only of the positive, I want to know they 'why' you are where you are now 'why' you fell for your significant other."

Max and White shot a look at each other. This wasn't going to be easy, Max wanted to know the 'why' behind Starshine's questioning. What was she trying to accomplish? Peace between spouses? The other couples were looking away from each other, some were even blushing. How was she supposed to say something nice about white? How was he supposed to say something nice about her?

"Shane? Michelle?"

"Nothing," they both said in unison. They both had their arms crossed and were looking away from each other. Michelle was obviously miffed about Shane's earlier scolding.

"There must be-"

"NO!"

"Moving on," said Starshine. Max and White were hoping that the other couples would be just as uncooperative as Shane and Michelle. And they were. No one wanted to open up, especially with their crazy 'instructor' the majority of the group would probably skip their Discovery class for the rest of the week. So when it came to Max and White they had no problem in answering.

"It was an arranged marriage."

"It was not," said Max hitting his knee.

"Well it feels like it."

"Most of the time."

^^^

Discovery Therapy (DT) had been a pure waste of time. It didn't accomplish anything and it didn't help anyone with him. Ms. Moonchild was quite positive that they needed more sessions to open up with one another. 'Screw DT' was on everyone's minds but all the couples knew that if they didn't go through with and showed the social workers undoubtedly watching their progress, then they could kiss their kids good-bye. White would have to have a talk with the governor about this. That is he would if the conclave didn't think he was in Europe. He winced thinking about the repercussions if they knew he was only three hours out of Seattle. Oh well, anything for Ray.

"So where are we going now?" asked Max.

"Just follow the herd, Ray has all the papers remember?"

"I've seen them so I should be able to recall every class and room, yet I don't really seem to care."

"You're not the only one."

They followed their group into another room, which had been set up classroom style. Tables had been set up along the left and right with an aisle down the middle. Two chairs to every table.

"If you'd all take a seat we'll begin now," said the instructor, "My name is Hector Isen, you can call me Hector. You all know why you're here, it's either because you can't get along with your spouse, your children or both. This class is all about effective parenting, how to deal with your children. Tonight you all have a meeting with our therapist to determine where you are in terms of problem solving."

Max yawned as White slumped down in his chair and closed his eyes. He didn't need this class.

"So what I'm going to do is give each of you a scenario and I want you to-uh," Hector looked down at his charts, "Mr. White?"

White huffed and opened his eyes giving the bespectacled man a menacing glare.

"If you-"

"I don't need you or anyone else telling me how to raise my son."

"This is jus-"

"I don't really care what this class is I don't need it."

"How about you just shut the hell up and suffer through it like the rest of us?" voiced Shane.

"How about you bite me instead?"

"Thought I'd leave that to your hooker."

"Excuse me?" demanded Max whipping her head sharply to the left to glare at Shane, "Hooker!?"

"You heard me babe," he said kissing the air. Michelle was looking away and shaking her head. Max leapt out of her chair and headed towards Shane, White had to grab her and restrain her.

"Mind letting me know how you came to that conclusion?"

"You just look like on is all."

Max struggled against White.

"Hey, hey, hey excuse me!" said Hector trying to regain control. No one was listening to him, the whole class was focused on the scene before them. Gertie was already taking notes to give to Jenny, she felt sorry for Michelle though. Shane seemed like real jerk.

"I'd shut your mouth before you get the ass kicking of your pitiful existence," said White.

"You threatening me?"

"I was talking about her, you wouldn't like my threats."

"Let me go! Hey!" shouted Max as White shifted her on his hip and carried her out. The rest of the class shrugged and walked out on Hector also. Michelle scrambled over the table behind her to join Gertie. All that was left in the class was a flabbergasted Hector and Shane, who was glaring at the door.

  
^^^

  
"A hooker? He called me a hooker? Do I look like a hooker to you?" Max fumed looking down at her jeans and jacket, "On second thought I don't want your opinion."

"Suit yourself."

As Max and White were making their way across the lobby (he had put her down to walk on her own) their attention was brought to the sound of bickering. When the couple came into view they saw it was a very ruffled Katrina and a trailing Eugene.

"Now honey…"

"Don't you 'now honey' me I couldn't stand one more minute in there with that, with that, WITCH! I couldn't stand it!"

"Hey are you okay?" asked Max when they got closer.

"Oh Maxine, I just-I - need a drink is what I need, I'll be in the bar."

And with that she took off muttering.

"Katty honey!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Ohhhh, she got in a tiff with Adelle, the woman is pure evil. I-I have to go," said Eugene running after his wife.

"I think that's the most I've ever heard him talk," said White.

"She is really upset."

"No really? I didn't catch that."

"Stop being sarcastic," said Max shoving him in the shoulder. As soon as she did she was shoved into White's arms as something pushed passed her violently.

"Hey!" shouted Max.

"Watch it bitch," said the woman flippantly and continued walking.

"What the hell did I do?!"

"You were in her way."

"She could've have went around."

"Not when you think you're the center of the universe."

"I've been a 'hooker' and a 'bitch' in one day."

"We've also had too much physical contact for one day," said White, "I mean punching and kicking is fine but today..."

"Shut up," said Max, "I would move away but there are people right behind us."

Glancing behind him he saw Gertie and Michelle huddled together talking and moving their way. Jerry, Mark, and Lupé were heading straight for the bar.

"Can Familiars get drunk?"

"No, can Transgenics?"

"No."

"It's our curse."

"Dammit."


	9. Seattle Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

  
"...and that is why your child is important. He or she needs to know that you care and that you will be there for..."

Max, White, and Ray had been in 'Family Counselling' for over three hours now. The majority of it had been a motivational speaker trying to 'counsel' everyone at once. Max and White had decided long ago that this whole 'Family Retreat' thing was a scam, a scam for what they didn't know but on the whole it was pretty damn hoaky. Whenever the Motivational Speaker started looking for volunteers and glanced in their direction Max had to grab White's arm to prevent him from jumping up and murdering the guy in cold blood right there. The guy was definitely annoying, Max wouldn't mind helping White kill him...but one of them had to remain sane. It probably would have been bad if she'd kicked Shane's ass, but dog gone it he deserved it!

"Think you could let go of my arm?"

Max blinked at White. She looked to where she was holding his arm and realized how tight she was squeezing. He'd probably have nail marks in it.

"Sorry. Thinking."

White rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side he continued to glare at all who dared look his way.

"...and that concludes our session. You all may exit the conference room and have a ggod night! I hope you learned..."

"Let's go," said White getting up and heading out, he didn't even bother waiting for the speaker's ending about 'learning something'.

"That was bo-oring," said Ray yawning when the had gotten out of the conference room. He wrapped his arms around Max's waist and leaned against her side as they walked.

"Tired?"

"No," said Ray shaking his head sleepily.

"It's nine o'clock so you should be," said White, "How could they keep us there from six to nine?"

"I think they're winging this whole retreat."

"Tell me about it. All these councellor's are on drugs. Especially that Moonshine hippie."

"Starshine," said Max and Ray together.

"You know her?"

"Yup," said Ray, "she came in and started talking to us about talking flowers or something. Maybe it was metaphorical."

"I bet she talks to every inanimate object she come into contact with."

"I'll take that bet," said Max nodding up ahead.

Starshine Moonchild was up ahead apparently talking to a stone pillar. The three stopped and watched her fearfully. When she stepped away they saw Gertie come around the pillar. Letting out a sigh of relief, Max, White, and Ray continued to the elevator. They were happily left alone as they walked through the lobby, made it to the elevator and finally to their room.

"Thank God that's over."

"There's always tomorrow," said Max.

"Don't remind me."

"How long have we been here?"

"Three days..." said White.

"This sucks."

"I think it's kinda fun kinda fun," said Ray smiling sleepily, "Didn't I tell you..."

"Come on let's get you to bed," said White detaching Ray from Max and picking him up.

"Not...tired dad," mumbled Ray into White's shoulder.

As White carted Ray off to bed, Max smiled at them before realizing what she was doing. She shook out of it. How the hell could he be so cold but then warm up in an instant? The warmness suited him better. With White you could feel it, the ice or the heat. The air around him changed to suit his mood. But either way there were certain times when he looked so damn good...Max snapped out of her thoughts with a very disturbed look on her face. She let out a little moan before rushing over to the phone.

  
^^^

  
Original Cindy was getting ready to walk out the door and head for crash when the phone started ringing. Dropping her keys on the counter she headed back into the apartment. 'That had better not be Logan again!'

"Hold ya horses, Original Cindy is on her way," she said as she reached for the phone, "Hello?"

"OC?"

"Hey girl, you're not dead yet."

"I'm sort of wishing that White had just stopped the car and shot me on the way here," said Max remembering the last few days.

"That bad?"

"You wouldn't believe the half of it."

  
^^^

Logan sat at his computer not seeing the words on his screen. He was lost in thought...

"One: Ray isn't your son and Two: HE'S WITH WHO?!"

"So let me get this straight," said Logan after making Max tell him the story, "You adopted Ray, White showed up, a social worker thought you were fighting over child custody AND that you were married, she then proceeded to make you sign up for a Family Getaway, which you have to go on. Is that it?"

"Max this is insane and has gone on far enough. And once again, you're not his mother! Max if you would just listen to reason."

"I said move, I'm going to count to three and if you're still standing there I can't be responsible if I accidently touch you."

"Would you at least tell me where the hell you're going to be then?"

"I told you in Donovan. Three." and with that she walked straight towards Logan, who got out of her way. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd go through him.

"I love you Max," said Logan, but by that time the Ninja was already half way down the street.

  
Logan moved the key board out of the way, put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. "Dammit..."

"Hey buddy."

Logan jumped so high at the sound of Alec's voice that he nearly fell out of his chair.

"Alec! What the hell? It's called a door, you knock on it!"

"Sorry," he said coming into the room and sitting in a chair behind Logan, "So what are you doing sitting alone in the dark staring at your screen. Max dump you for me again?"

"...more like White..." mumbled Logan.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Okaaay, uh you wouldn't happen to know where Max is do you?" asked Alec, "I just got back to the city and all Mole would say is that 'she split with the kid' She and Ray go somewhere?"

Logan sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"She's with White."

"Uh, okay," laughed Alec, "Really Logan, where's Max."

"She's with White," said Logan repeating himself and looking pointedly at Alec.

"What do you mean 'she's with White'? Dude this had better be a metaphor for something because it's not funny, if she, was she kidnapped?!"

"She's with White AND Ray, three hours away in Donovan for 'Family Counselling.'"

"Max and White...Family Counselling? Riiiiiiiiight, and you've had how much to drink?"

"Alec I'm serious here."

"Logan please, you can't..." Alec stopped when he saw the look Logan was giving him, "Okay if I believe you you're not gonna call out 'psych' on me are you? I'm trusting you here Logan."

"Wait till you hear what happened..." and with that the cyber journalist started to explain everything that had happened after the X5 had left for San Francisco.

"So uh, Max is really..." said Alec after Logan was done.

"Yup, down in Donovan. I pulled the reservations list."

Alec slid his chair over to Logan's as he pulled up the files, and sure enough an Ames, Maxine, and Raymond White were all listed.

"How did White get away from the Conclave to do this?"

"Well if this was a trap, like I think it is then Max is in trouble. It's been three days, and she hasn't called. I've called Original Cindy a thousands times so she's probably really annoyed with me right now."

"But it didn't cross Max's mind at all that that social worker could have been a Familiar?"

"Ray has her blinded! She cares so much for him Alec, Max thinks of him as her own son, a bond that she should never have made especially with said child's father trying to kill her!"

"Hey I saw it developing too, but I never thought she'd take off so quickly with him, hell I didn't even know these Family Getaway thing's existed. But then of course I've lived a sheltered life and..."

"Alec."

"Reminiscing about Manticore, stop, right got it," said Alec nodding, "Max will be back in four days, and all will be well again. We just have to figure out a way to get rid of White."

"Ray knows he isn't dead now."

"Oh yeah," said Alec, "So why don't we kill White, then you and Max can raise Ray together?"

"I think he hates me."

Alec laughed, "Oh yeah! Hey you remember that time..."

"Alec!"

"Right, sorry."

"But Max-Agh! she just took off with him, like it was no big deal. She went off with WHITE, AMES WHITE of all people, the man who has been trying to kill her for how many years now? She just ups and leaves with him, consequences be damned! She didn't care if she was walking into a trap, she wasn't thinking straight, she hasn't been ever since she's become so attached to Ray! And she didn't listen when I-"

"You didn't tell her all that did you? Logan please tell me you did not tell her that!"

"I uh..."

"WHAT did you tell her?"

"That she wasn't thinking straight and that Ray wasn't her son."

Alec was staring at Logan like was insane, "Logan. Max has some sort of maternal bond with that boy. She mothers him, treats him like her own flesh and blood. To her, Ray's her baby. It's really no wonder she snapped at you. She was displaying territorial aggression

"Territorial Aggression?"

"Max is part cat, she snapped because she's like...well, a mother cat protecting her kitten. Hence the snapping," explained Alec like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"But Ray. Is. Not. Hers."

"To Max. He. IS."

"I should have sent him off to England the moment he got to Seattle."

"Wasn't Max attached to Ray by then?"

"I'm trying not to think about it."

"She's not going to let go of him Logan."

"If she had adopted any one else's son but WHITE'S..."

"I think we're all aware of what happened."

"You just found out ten minutes ago."

Alec shrugged, "It was going to happen sooner or later and if you're so worried about her why don't you call the hotel and check up on them?"

"She's mad at me remember?"

"Well maybe she's calmed down by now?"

"Well if your saying that I insulted her by unintentionally threatening her baby then no Alec, I don't think she'll be calmed down by now."

"Yeah you're probably right," said Alec, "So how're you going to make it up to her?"

  
^^^

"So have you heard from Max?" asked Sketchy. He and Original Cindy had been at Crash for a little over an hour.

"Just called tonight. Says she's fine."

"That kid of hers scares me," he said, "You ever notice how freaky it is when he comes into Jam Pony and turns into Normal?"

Original Cindy rolled her eyes then caught sight of Alec coming towards them.

"Hey guys, I just came from Logan's and..."

"My boo's fine Alec."

"You've heard from her?"

"Before I got here, and she wishes that White had killed her."

"Why?"

"Double that why," said Sketchy, "And who's White?"

"Max went on a Family Retreat with Ray and his daddy. Daddy bein' White."

"Yeah that's what Logan said," said Alec, "Why does Max wish White killed her?"

"The councellor's are driving her insane n' there's a couple people there she'd like to kill."

"All this for Ray..."

"Max loves that kid and she ain't lettin' him go."

"That's what I told Logan," said Alec, "So what about White?"

"Far as she says he bin behavin' himself."

Alec shook his head and breathed out a puff of air, "That's hard to imagine. Those two in any setting is like dousing yourself in gasoline then trying to light a cigarette."

"Original Cindy will take your word for it."

"Mind explaining all this a little clearer to me guys?"

  
^^^

Max sighed when she hung up the phone. Things sounded to be going alright in Seattle. Everyone was fine, there was no Familiar activity. Alec was supposedly getting back tonight, and Logan was being a jerk and calling Original Cindy every five minutes.

'Why doesn't he just call me here instead of bothering OC?' she thought.

Max wandered over to the rooms and stopped by Ray's door. The door was slightly ajar and Max could hear White's voice. He was apparently telling Ray a story. Max smiled a bit but then her mouth dropped wide open as she realized exactly what story White was telling his son.

"And the Cat was a real bitch so..."

"The Cat was a dog?" asked Ray.

"What?"

"A bitch is a female dog, so if the Cat was a bitch then wouldn't she be a dog?"

"Where the hell do you learn these things?"

Ray shrugged then smiled, silently giving his father the go ahead to continue.

"Riiight, so anyway this Cat was always bothering the Dog..."

"What kind of dog?"

"Rottweiler."

"What kind was the cat?"

"Uh...tabby?"

"Continue."

"Anyway," said White, "As I was saying this Cat was always bothering the Dog, sticking her nose where it didn't belong and just making his life miserable. It got really bad when the Cat kidnapped the Dog's Puppy without a reason and then...

"That is so not true!" screamed Max from the other side of the door. White leaned back and shot the door an annoyed look.

"So what really happened?" called Ray. Max pushed open the door and went around to the other side of Ray's bed where she laid down. Now the three of them were all in the tiny bed.

"What really happened," said Max moving her left arm under Ray's head, "Was that the Dog was...uh...involved with some very bad doggy religion thing."

"Only because the Cat didn't understand it!"

"Dogs have religions?"

"Oh yeah," said Max, "Anyway the Cat feared for the Puppy's safety and took him away for a while."

"Did the puppy live with the (yawn) Cat?"

"No, he went to live with another dog but...she got too old so the Cat went back and took the Puppy home with her."

"Did the Cat like the Puppy?"

"Of course she did," said Max smiling, "The Cat started to look at the Puppy like he was her own little kitten. And she loved him very much."

"Did the Dog ever find the Puppy?"

"Yeah," said White, "He did. And he wasn't going lose him again."

"Did the Cat and Dog ever get along?"

"Eventually," Max and White looked at each other in surprise having said the same thing simultaneously.

"Did it have a...happy ending?" asked Ray finally falling asleep.

Max pulled Ray's covers up a bit more before brushing her forehead against his. When she looked up she noticed White staring at her with a look she had never seen before.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No really what?" she whispered.

"You just never struck me as the maternal type."

"Well besides the whole punching, name calling when did we ever really hang out?"asked Max sarcastically.

"Point taken," said White, the side of his mouth curled into a little half-smirk. He glanced down at Ray and got up carefully as to not wake him. Max moved her arm slowly from beneath Ray's head, she then got up and followed White out of the room as he closed the door behind them. As they got closer to their room, Max shoved White into the doorframe.

"So what? You don't think I could be a mother?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it!" said Max walking into the room. White followed her.

"I said you 'never stuck me as maternal', which is completely different but now that you brought it up..."

"Oh don't even."

"Don't even what? Say that..."

"I'm changing. GET. OUT," said Max pointing to the door.

White laid down on the bed and relaxed, "Oh come on 452, we've been married for nine years. But if you're still shy the bathroom's free."

"Out."

"I'm not moving," said White, "Comfortable."

"You are such an asshole."

"I try," said White smiling.

Max grabbed her clothes and walked out in a huff. That idiot! Why was it that every time they started getting along, they fought seconds later? Well besides the whole Transgenic/Familiar hate thing and that she might've started the little spat. . .Things were getting weird between them, and it was all Ray's fault! If it hadn't been for him neither of them would be here. They would have been fighting and trying to kill each other instead of unconsciously snuggling up to each other in bed. . .Max shuddered. This was so wrong. When Max got changed and back into the bedroom, White was in his usual position on his side of the bed as she crawled under the covers.

"What are they torturing us with tomorrow?"

"More 'therapy' if you can even call it that," answered White, "I think we're supposed to talk about our 'feelings'."

"Great."

"Yeah, and oh, 452?"

"What?"

"I know I'm irresistible but try not to snuggle up to me this time," said White with a smirk. That comment earned him a kick as well as Max pulling all the blankets over to her side of the bed.

  



	10. Rivals and Reoccurences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"Are you fucking done yet!?" yelled White pounding on the bathroom door.

Max ignored him and turned her shower water hotter, letting the spray wash away all the tensions. She had a hour to do whatever, their next therapy session was Couple Counselling. White and Ray had a father-son boding course early in the morning before the little Familiar went to his peer group. White had gotten back just before she went to shower which was about an hour and a half ago. Well more like she had an hour long bubble bath followed by her shower which lasted half an hour, just to piss White off. Max smiled to herself.

"You take fucking forever."

Max screamed and poked her head out of the shower curtain, "I'm in the middle of a shower! Get OUT!"

"You've been in here forever 452," said White walking into the bathroom.

"I LOCKED that door!"

"No you didn't."

"YES, I did," said Max angrily.

White shrugged, "So I picked the lock."

"And what was so important in here that you couldn't wait for?"

"Thought you could use some company," he said. Max nearly fell over.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Well I've been reading our curriculum..."

"Oh God," whined Max.

"And it says that we should communicate more."

"I'm kind of naked in here!"

"I kind of noticed," said White, "As one tends to be in the shower."

"Shut up!" said Max, "And again I ask: what the hell are you doing in here? Just trying to annoy me?"

"I'm bored so yes."

Max shut the taps off violently and went to grab her towel. Making sure it was wrapped securely around her, she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out, shoving White into the sink as she passed him.

"Want one for your hair?" he asked grabbing a smaller towel and holding it out to her. Max turned and grabbed it, glaring at him as she stalked out of the bathroom and slammed the door to their bedroom.

^^^

A while later and on their way to therapy Max was still mad at White. She walked a few steps ahead of him, quite pissed at his earlier stunt in the bathroom. How dare he barge in one her? What the hell was the point...idiot...

"What room are we in?" she asked him heatedly.

"A cosher room just off the main floor. Twenty-six I think."

"I'll meet you there."

"Where are you going?"

"I said I'll meet you there!"

Max stormed off away from White who just shrugged and continued on his way. Max walked off back down the hall to the women's washroom. She slammed the door open violently and stalked in cursing White.

"Not that I care but...bad morning?" asked a woman looking in the mirror. She was busy applying her lipstick carefully.

"You could say that," said Max pacing slowly, Max looked up at the woman and recognized her, "Hey, you're the one who bumped into me a few days ago."

"You were in my way sweetie."

"I was in YOUR way?" asked Max quizzically, "You couldn't have went around?"

The woman laughed, "You are so much different than the last one."

"What?" asked Max. She had forgotten her earlier anger at White over the confusion of the woman in front of her.

"It's probably never come up but I'm Adelle," she said, "And by last one I meant that Olsen bitch. You're Maxine right?"

"Ols-Wendy? Wendy Olsen? You knew her?"

"Not really," said Adelle flippantly, "She was the demure nice little goody-goody, real girl next door type. It really surprised me when he left me for that prissy no nothing."

"It's just Max and...uh?"

"So what happened to her anyway? Something horrible I hope," said Adelle, "I can't believe he didn't call me..."

Max's mouth dropped open, "You knew Ames?"

"We were at Harvard together. Law school."

"He mentioned it once, didn't suit him though," said Max, she was thinking about Adelle's previous comment 'So what happened to her anyway? Something horrible I hope' how cold could this woman be?

"Show's how much you know. Ames was an amazing lawyer, he was...ruthless and mmmm...so perfect for the job, he got his degree but never took the bar exam. It was probably that bitch's fault, so what happened to her? Didn't last long did she? Rumour has it you and Ames have been together for nine years, I met him when we were eighteen, seven years of college together, he left me for Olsen, and if my math is correct, stayed with her for only two years before moving onto you. So then what? You get pregnant just to keep him around?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. He finally came to his senses about his first mistake of a wife and was going to come back to me, then he picks up some latina tramp and gets her knocked up for God knows what reason. Has to marry her, and as you can tell I'm still very, VERY bitter about the brush off he gave me eleven years ago."

"Oh so it's my fault?"

"Well that depends, you messing around with him when he was still with Wife #1?"

"Wendy died, have some respect."

"Oh I see now, he was on the rebound and you just happened to be there?"

"It's nice to know that you care so much about people," said Max sarcastically. The urge to hit this woman was almost overpowering.

"Like I said I'm bitter. And right now I just can't bring myself to care." Adelle put her lipstick back in her purse and went to leave. When she got past Max and to the door she turned, "I'd really like to know where Ames picked you up from, or maybe he was just really, really drunk at the time. Ah well, we'll be having a little chat soon, so until then I can speculate as much as I want. See you soon, hon."

And with that Adelle sauntered though the door. Max just stood there in shock, there was no way was that woman was human. Sure there were some pretty nasty people out there but Adelle took the cake. Max sighed, so Ms. Bitch knows White, they were definitely going to have a little chat about this.

^^^

The room they were in for Couples Therapy was a smaller room with four love seats arranged in a square. Max found White on the left and went to sit down beside him. The Counsellor was at the head of the square as the couples filed in. It turned out that Max and White were stuck with Angie and Derek, Jenny, Gertie and their husbands.

"Had a talk with an old friend of yours," said Max.

"What?"

"We're going to have a little chat."

"About what?" White was confused, just a few minutes before the X5 had been ready to kill him but know she was...well she wasn't pissed but she wasn't happy.

"You'll see."

Before White could respond, the counsellor cut him off.

"Alrighty well it looks like everyone is here, so we might as well start. My name is Debra and I'll be your group couple therapist today. As you know after today, you'll have your mother/child bonding morning, like the fathers had theirs today and then your family sessions will begin. After that you'll get your assessments and then this will all be over. You can go back home and get things up and running again."

Debra took her clipboard and proceeded to make sure that everyone was there. Once she was done that, she preceded to tell them how this class would work. Debra wanted to explore hidden feelings. Each couple would tell the group how they met and got together and how they got to where they are now. She started around from her left at Derek and Angie. They had apparently met at a UFO convention and were both fanatics. Derek was supposedly sterile and Angie had somehow gotten pregnant, they had been growing increasingly suspicious of each other over the years. Gertie and Jerry had met at a college mixer and were in Donovan because their beliefs started to conflict and then there was the problem of Gertie's gossiping. Jenny and Luke had ran into each other in a super market, they were here because they disagreed on how to raise their son. Their conflicting parenting practices started to show themselves in little Luke Jr. at school when he started to act out. The principal had suggested this trip for them. Though all of their past history and current problems, Debra had managed to find a common thread, and certain emotions that these problems were based on. After everyone else was done it finally came to Max and White

"So how'd you two meet?"

"She was in a cage,"said White before Max could answer.

"I knew she was a stripper!" squealed Gertie excitedly. White almost laughed out loud.

"I was NOT a stripper!" shouted Max turning to glare at her 'husband'. He could have made something up but noooo...he had to tell everyone where they really met, how were they going to get through this now?

"Oh no," said White, "She wasn't a stripper."

'This might be okay...' thought Max cautiously.

"Some sector cops picked her up on a street corner, she was in one of the holding cells when I went walking past."

Max's mouth was hanging open, she should have been expecting something like this from White.

'Stripper wasn't so bad...' she thought as she heard the murmurs of 'prostitute' that normal people wouldn't have been able to hear. Sometimes super hearing sucked. Max was starting to become convinced that White was purposely trying to destroy her reputation here.

White smirked when he saw Max's reaction. He didn't really care if she got pissed with him again, after this morning's little incident White found it quite amusing to get 452 annoyed. Besides most of his story of how they met was pretty accurate, except it wasn't a street corner she was picked up from.

"Okay, okay, people stop whispering," said Debra trying to regain control, "So Max, you were in a jail cell when Ames walked by. What was the next step in your relationship?"

"She probably solicited him," Gertie whispered quietly to Jenny but both Max and White heard her. The X5 was about to retort when she saw how freaked out White looked by that thought.

"Actually," said Max, "our relationship didn't progress any further. Ray was conceived that night."

"WHAT?!" shouted White, "That did NOT happen!"

"Of course it did honey, I think I'd remember the feel of you..."

"Are you trying to make me sick? If so, it's working."

"Oh Ames..."

"Please 'Max', if you screwed anyone that night it was probably your pimp when he busted you out."

"Alec is not my pimp!"

"Oh right I forgot you're Cale's personal call girl," said White, "Too bad one touch will kill him," he added silently.

Max huffed, "You are such a-"

"O-KAY," interrupted Debra, "I think maybe we should talk about all this, get it out into the open. So who are Alec and Cale?"

"Alec and Logan," said Max, "Cale's his last name and they're friends, well Alec's annoying as hell and Logan, I really don't want to talk about him."

"Lover's spat?" asked White.

"He is NOT-"

"I think we might have some jealousy here," said Debra.

"Jealousy?! I'm am NOT fucking jealous!"

"And trust issues, you have to trust one another if your relationship is going to work itself out."

"What relationship?" spat Max.

"Okay, okay," said Debra, "Let's go back to the beginning and analyze. I think from just what I've heard here that you two have some serious trust issues."

"You think?"

"Now honestly, spite aside, how did you really meet?"

Max and White glanced at each other, he really HAD met her in a cage...now what was their cover story?

"Um...I was...waitressing."

"I came in for...coffee."

"And we met," said Max.

"So...and then..." pressed Debra, "What happened?"

"Uh...well..."

"We got to talking," said White, "found we had...some...things in common."

"Like what?" asked Debra.

"We had..."

"Rough childhoods," said White.

"An example maybe?"

"I'm not getting into this Freudian crap."

"Alright," said Debra, "we're just here to take it slow. So you two got to talking, good open communication..then what happened? What brought you here."

"Ray did," said Max with a slight smile, "He maneuverer everything so we'd have no choice."

"Ah yeah," said White. "We were at City Hall almost getting into a custody battle when..."

"...some woman came up to us and told us about this retreat, before we could say anything Ray grabbed the papers and said we'd be there."

"He also made us sit together every chance he got...he's quite manipulative," said White.

"Get's it from you," said Max.

"He does doesn't he?"

"Did you know that the two of you haven't been at each others throats all the while you've been talking about your son?" said Debra, "I think he's your middle ground, you both love him so much and he obviously loves you enough to manhandle your lives against your wills to come here. Try and see things through his eyes, re-evaluate your relationship, what you went through to get here, why you fell in love, why you decided to get married and have a child in the first place. Just forget the bad and concentrate on the good."

The room was quiet as Max chewed on her lip and White looked to the side. How were they supposed to concentrate on the good when there was nothing but bad? He'd tried to kill her so many times...she'd kidnapped his son....they had only stopped fighting long enough to come on this trip. This was the first time that either of them had sort of gotten along with out any kind of bloodshed.

^^^

After the session Max and White headed back to the elevator, the X5 thought it was a good time to bring up her meeting with a certain someone.

"Anyway back to what I was saying before Debra started the session, I ran into Adelle today and heard some pretty...interesting things, included among her colourful comments about your choice in women."

White groaned and ran a hand over his face, "Adelle Johensen...I was hoping against hope that I'd never hear that name again. Let alone see her again. Was sort of praying that she wouldn't start something when I saw her at the orientation."

"Hmm, well now she has," said Max.

"Four days without stalking me, that's got to be a record."

"I take it your opinions of each other were quite different."

"She always followed me around, dressing like a whore and acting like she was better than everyone else."

"Kind of like you."

"I did not go around in mini skirts flashing cleavage all over the place 452."

Max couldn't hold back her laugh at the mental picture she got.

"So you went to Harvard?" said Max regaining control.

"I was on my way up in the Conclave, where else would they send me?" said White, "It was quite nice over there, I was there three years before the pulse hit."

"So while you were a third year law student, I was breaking out of Manticore the first time around."

White smirked, "Guess so, so what'd Adelle say?"

"Well the way she talked about you, you'd think you were a god or something."

White shook his head, "I swear I never did anything to make her think I was interested."

"I think it might've been that whole 'cold hearted bastard' persona you have that attracted her. It's sickening really."

"That I'm a cold hearted bastard or the fact that someone actually found it appealing?"

"Both."

"Do I disgust you?"

"Completely."

"Oh so that's why you're always curled up to me in the morning," said White.

"Hey I can't help it if you're warm!"

"I though you said I was cold?"

"Not like- shut up, you're...you know what you're doing!"

"You look a little flustered."

"Because you're pissing me off."

"Well we can't very much fight it out in the lobby now can we?"

"So you're just going to annoy me?"

"I'm getting bored, I'm missing my training schedule, and being pent up in here all the time is driving me insane."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Max sighing, "I'd give anything for my bike right now."

"Just three more days of this."

"Yeah..." said Max trailing off. She stopped walking and turned to White, "And then what?"

Max and White looked at each other. What was going to happen after the retreat. Would they just go back to the way things were?

"Mom! Dad!" Max and White both felt a jolt in their hearts as Ray came running towards them. Mom and Dad...How could they go back to fighting when this kid loved them both so much?

"So what'd you guys have to do?" He asked, wedging himself between Max and White, grabbing onto both their hands, Ray led them to the elevator, "And where are we going for lunch?"

^^^

As it turned out, everyone at the retreat were allowed to go out for lunch. Meaning they could finally get out of the hotel and explore Donovan. The hotel was located on a hill just barely outside the town of about 1200 people. White, Max, and Ray walked down the sidewalks into town. Greenery and pink roses were almost everywhere they looked. It was no wonder that people came here on retreats, it was peaceful. About twenty minutes of walking later, the trio managed to find a suitable diner. Once they were settled in and had ordered, Ray starting telling them al about his day.

"And it was really weird, I think Christina think we're stupid or something. I knew everything before she even said it, but I guess maybe some of the other people there ARE stupid. Take Sophie LaRoque for one example. Not only is she dumb but mean too."

"Who does she belong to?"

"Uh...I think she said...you wouldn't believe how she introduced herself," Ray cleared his voice and made himself sound high pitched and whiny, "I am Miss Sophie Dolores Johensen LaRoque, prestigious daughter of Adelle and Vincent LaRoque, heiress to the LaRoque estate and all its properties blah, blah, blah. And then she just went on and on and on, wouldn't shut up!"

"Oh God," moaned White.

"What?"

"He knows Sophie's mother."

"Is she a real bitch?" asked Ray.

"Who taught you how to swear?" asked White.

"You did."

"When?"

"You were always swearing in the basement when you came home at night, I think it started the first month we came to Seattle."

Max laughed at White, she could probably guess exactly what it was that set him off.

"Oh," said White glaring at Max, "and why weren't you asleep then?"

"I dunno, it was a long time ago, I can't remember," said Ray smiling sweetly.

White shook his head and chose to ignore his son. The kid was trouble, the little brat had already got him and 452 in deep. What he was planning next White really didn't want to know.

'You know this is your fault,' White's inner voice chastised, 'You were the one that had to get him back no matter what. You only have yourself to blame for the position he put you in.'

"So how was couples therapy?" asked Ray, "Learn anything new?"

"How did you kno-" Max stopped when Ray pulled out the timetable and waved it at her, "Oh. Nevermind then."

"So what was your cover story? They asked you how you met right?"

"Yeah they did," said Max, "We told them a coffee shop."

"Meh good enough." Ray shrugged.

"What do you mean 'good enough'?"

"You should have told them the story about your stalker boyfriend," said Ray, "I liked that one. Why didn't it make the cut?"

"It was too elaborate," said White, "Besides Adelle would probably try and track him down."

"Sophie's mom?"

"Yeah I met her today, not a nice woman."

"So how'd dad know her?"

"We went to college together unfortunately."

"Oh. OH! You know what happened today? Do you know what Sophie did to Rosalyn?"

"Adelle Junior start something?"

"Well you know how Rose always has her hair in pigtails? Well Sophie came up and just yanked on them real hard, saying that they looked stupid. So I told Sophie that her face looked stupid. And that she should consider surgery to get that thing off her face."

"What thing?"

"Her nose."

White laughed and then braced him self for Max's fist in his arm.

"Don't encourage him!"

"She started it," said Ray shrugging, "I was only helping Rose out. She was almost crying."

"Well at least you were defending someone else," said Max, "Besides if she's anything like her mother..."

"That whole family needs to be..." White was stopped from finishing his sentence when the waitress showed up with their food.

"So think this will be any good?" asked Ray shoving his sandwich into his mouth. He nearly choked a few times but after that he was good and gave Max and White a thumbs up so they wouldn't try a heimlich maneuver. The older Familiar and Transgenic just stared.

^^^

After lunch, and lecturing Ray about eating slower as to not choke and kill himself. The three of them spent the rest of the day away from the hotel, wanting to get some fresh air and just do stuff. Their schedule was free for the rest of the day, but technically this was a 'relax with your family and bond' thing. There wasn't much to do in Donovan except wander around.

"You know my birthday's coming up soon," said Ray.

"In four months," said White.

"That's still pretty soon. Oh an as much as I like hanging out at Tc, can I got back to school? I used to have friends there. Brookridge was cool but they shut down didn't they?"

White glared at Max, the transgenic just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah I can go back to school, get to know people again and then we could have it at the house. Hey Max, you and Cindy should cook for me."

"It cooks?"

"Max is a 'she' dad, not an 'it."

"Could have fooled me," said White bracing himself for the dual hits he received in the arm and stomach from both his son and 452.

^^^

After exploration and birthday banter, the trio headed back to the hotel after spending the day wandering around Donovan. The setting sun cast a glowing hue over the town and up the sidewalk slope that they walked. As they were walking Max nearly keeled over, having to grab onto White's arm to brace herself.

"Are you okay?" asked Ray, he had his arms wrapped around Max's waist to try and help support her.

"Uh, I think so."

"You look at little pale."

"Maybe it was something I ate…"  
"I'm not looking after you if you have food poisoning."

Ray gave his father an exasperated look, which White just ignored.

"I doubt it's that but…" as just as it came, the feeling was gone and Max felt normal again, "It's gone…." She knit her brows together. That was strange. She let go of White's arm and straightened herself as best she could with a mini-Familiar still attached to her waist.

"That was a little weird," said White.

"Tell me about it," said Max. She put her hand across her forehead checking for a fever, she was feeling a little hot.

"You want a doctor?" asked Ray.

"And get my blood checked and confused again? No thanks…Eastman and Eastwood, you'd think doctors and nurses would read things over a little more carefully…"

"Not to mention that would bring the CDC in again, it would draw a lot of attention this way."

"And they'd have me locked up in a room again."

"I did try and get you out of there."

"You sent someone in to kill me!"

"Oh yeah," said White, "but hey I did shoot those cops that had you cornered."

"Only to again try and kill me yourself!"

White shrugged, "It's the thought that counts."

Ray just shook his head as Max rolled her eyes. Whenever they started to get along something from the past just had to come up. The occasional insult and a lot less glaring was about as much as Ray could hope for from the day they met at the courthouse and the stay over. That was when? It was day four at the retreat, the day before coming here, then the day at court. That was six days of them not trying to kill the other. Ray had to admit that they had come a long way. Before if Max or his dad slightly brushed against each other they would both shoot the other with a look of complete disgust and contempt. But here was Max nearly falling over and he let her grab his arm and (unconsciously) moved in to steady her. Ray smiled into Max's side and suppressed a laugh. This was going great.

Dusk settled as they finally made it back to the Delta. When they finally got back to the suite the first thing they did was collapse on the couch.

"My feet hurt," said Ray.

"No they don't."

"They do a little bit, I only got the basics of blocking pain you know."

"Blame her for that," said White, pointing across his son to Max.

"How much could have that cult school have taught him in two years?"

"You'd be surprised."

"In a bad way?"

"Most likely."

"What were they going to teach me?" asked Ray who was once again ignored like the last time when he asked what valium was.

"I'm going down for a while," said White getting up.

"To the bar?" asked Ray.

"Is there something wrong with you?"

"No, I'm just perceptive," said Ray, "and cute."

White shook his head, "Riight."

"You're leaving me alone with him?" asked Max.

"Looks that way."

"Not afraid I'll take off with him again?"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take." And with that he was out the door.

"I don't think he likes me anymore," said Ray looking at Max with a little grin.

"He doesn't like me either."

"I think he's starting to," said Ray. "Why didn't he like you the first time?"

"Well he might've when we first met," said Max giving Ray a half smile, "but then I kept foiling his evil plans. Mmh." Max stopped smiling and got a serious look on her face.

"What?"

"I don't know," she said leaning forward, "I feel a little weird."

"Again?"

"Yeah. Uh, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?"

"Uh, I think it's you." asked Ray, "You look a bit flushed. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I, I'll be fine, just a hot flash or...something," said Max.

"Same as when you keeled earlier?"

"I think so," said Max, "It's probably nothing. Do you want o play a game or something?"

"Sure, I think I saw some in the closet somewhere," said Ray going over to check. "How about Scrabble?"

^^^

Twenty minutes Later...

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Ray.

"Yeah, fine, why do you ask?"

"What's that word?"

Ray pointed at one and as soon as Max saw it, her eyes widened. Taking a look at all her words she swept the game off the table. The words, memories, playing with Cindy...the heat...the...No. Oh God no. Three years, it's been three years since...Max's breathing quickened as all the pieces shifted into place.

"Max?"

"Get your things," said Max, "you're staying with Katrina tonight, okay?"

"Uh, ok...why? What's wrong?"

"My screwed up DNA is acting up and I don't want you around for this."

"Why do you look so scared? Should I go find dad?"

"NO! No-no, no, no, no, trust me...I might find him on my own. Ray come one go get your things and move!"

The boy ran into his room to collect an over night bag. While Ray was packing he was thinking about how cool it would be to finally have a little brother or sister. He knew what was happening, the tiny Familiar had asked some of the transhumans in Terminal City (that didn't like X5's very much) to tell him everything about the X5's. Ray had been wondering how long it would take for Max to go into heat around his dad. The kid smirked a bit before wiping it off his face and racing out to a nearly panicking Max. Yup, a little brother or sister would sure be cool.

Max grabbed his hand in a death grip and ran out of the room to get Ray someplace that wasn't near her. Down the hall, onto the elevator Max had to keep repeating Katrina's room number in her head.

'119, 119, 119, it's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be fine. This isn't happening, it's a fluke, Manticore fixed this, this isn't happening.'

When the elevator doors opened, Max dragged Ray down the hall until she finally found the number she was looking for. Banging on the door, Max anxiously waited for someone to open it.

"Oh Maxine! Hi how are you? Well isn't this a nice surprise!"

"Katrina hi! How are you? Uh, do you think you could maybe watch Ray for the night?" asked Max pushing Ray through the door.

"Oh of course, it's quite short notice but sure, but I'm sure Rosie'd love to have him! He's such a sweet boy. Big plans with dad tonight?" whispered Katrina conspiratorially.

"God I hope not," muttered Max.

"Sorry? Didn't catch that."

"Yes! You know something like that, I gotta go....and...uh...stuff...Bye Ray!" called Max taking off, she hurried back and said a quick 'thank you' to Katrina and rushed off again before she lunged for Eugene who had come to the door behind his wife.

'Go back to the room, just go back to the room, sit-ups, push-ups, cold showers...' Max's new mantra started out strong but her body wasn't listening, no sooner had she reached the elevator that her hand decided to press the 'main' button. By the time Max reached ground floor, she was humming for something male.

^^^

"Ray?.....452?"

White looked around the suite a bit confused. Where the hell were they? A board game was all over the floor...

'She wouldn't have....' thought White, if 452 had taken his son a second time he would have to kill her. No matter what. The Familiar hurried to his son's room and went through the drawers. Most of his things were still here. Just a few things and a bag were missing.

'Don't freak out, go check your room for her things too.' White listened to his inner voice for what seemed like the first time in forever. When he found Max's clothes, bag, and wallet still there he was even more confused then when he got home. No way she'd split without taking anything. So where the hell were they?

'They might have went down for food.' reasoned White. Ray was always complaining about his stomach. White shook his head and took a deep breath. That was it, they were downstairs somewhere. He's gone for half an hour and look what happens. He probably missed them on the way down by taking the stairs instead of the elevator...

^^^

Max laughed at whatever the guy beside her said. She had no idea, there was only one place she wanted this one. What was his name again? Oh yeah...Jarod or something...Max got up to 'leave'.

"Uh, where are you going?"

"Where do you want me to go?" asked Max pushing him towards the exit.

"Where do you want to take me?"

"You know why don't we..." Max looked beyond Jarod and trailed off, "I have to go."

"Hey wait but.." Jarod just watched her go with a confused expression on his face. Max eyed the newcomer carefully, the one who had caught her attention away from Jarod. He finally noticed her and started to walk closer. Mmmm...now this one was interesting, great body, steady stride, she could feel a power hidden deep beneath the surface of him, this one was strong...Mmmmmm. Max licked her lips.

"Where the hell have you been?" asked White as Max sauntered up to him, "And where's Ray?"

"He's with Katrina," said Max.

"Why the hell is he with her?"

Max gave him a half smile, "Why don't we go back upstairs?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you okay?" White eyed her cautiously.

"I'm fine." Max moved her hands down his chest and took the front of his shirt before leading him to the elevator. White furrowed his brow and followed her. Why was she holding onto his shirt? This was strange behaviour for 452. Something had to be up...or maybe she was actually drunk?

^^^

"...and so then I told his client..."

Adelle was staring off into space trying to drown out the sound of her husband's voice. Why did she settle? She should have gone after Ames no matter how much he pushed her aside. She still couldn't believe he left her for that priss and now a hussy.

"Addy? Are you okay?"

Adelle grimaced, "I told you not to call me that!" she was about to lay into Vincent when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Was that Max? And what the hell was she doing? Adelle saw Max pushing some random guy towards the exit. The way she was moving...

'That whore,' Adelle smiled, 'She's cheating on him."

"Waaaah I don't want carrots!" screamed Adelle's daughter.

"Shut the hell up Sophie!" she snapped, slapping her daughter upside the head.

"Adelle..." started Vincent.

"Piss off." She got up as quickly as she could and followed around the corner where she saw Max, smirking all the way. She was going to pin this bitch, show Ames what she really was. When Adelle came around the corner she stopped in shock. The smirk disappeared from her face and look of pure hatred took its place. She could have sworn Max had led some guy out but here she was stuck to Ames with her arms around his neck. Adelle watched as Max took White by the shirt and led him to the elevator. She glared at their retreating forms.

^^^

Once in the elevator and on their way up Max pushed White into the wall.

"Hey!"

"What?" asked Max innocently. She pushed herself against him and trailed a finger down the side of his face.

"Did you get drunk?"

"Nope."

"Are you high?"

"Course not." Max moved closer to White (if that was even possible) so that now their faces were only inches apart.

"What are you-" White was cut off as Max put her hands on both sides of his face and pulled him in for a searing kiss. Having been caught off guard this new development, White had two sides of his mind at war with each other. The Male side of him was thinking one equation (Hot Woman + Kissing You = Go For It Dude!) While the Familiar side of him was screaming another (Transgenic + Bad Thoughts = You Fucking Traitor!) When White regained his composure he finally managed to push Max off of him. He kept her arms gripped tightly to prevent any reoccurrences

"452 WHAT the HELL was that?!"

"Mmm...you taste good," said Max licking her lips.

"You ARE on-" White stopped when he noticed the way she was looking at him. He narrowed his eyes and really looked at her before realizing, "Oh shit, fuck no, you are NOT-"

"Not what?"

White let go of her arm and went to press the 'door open' button. But before he could, Max grabbed his arm and tossed him to the other side of the elevator, he slammed into the wall and backed up against it. Max pressed the 'stop' button and let out an amused giggle. She leant up against the panel and gave White a once over.

"Heat. You're fucking in heat." White had read the Manticore transcripts about the X5's, and the files about the heat driven females were scary. White silently thanked whatever God that had forsaken him that 452 still had some control and sense enough in her final minutes of sanity to get Ray to Katrina, this was something the kid didn't need to see...though he'd probably be cheering 452 on if he was...that ungrateful little brat. White shook his head to get rid of that thought, and then back further into the wall as Max approached.

"You're not yourself."

"Course I'm me."

"No you're not, because there's no way on earth, heaven, or hell that you would ever touch me...well you have on occasion when we were sleeping together, but NOT how you want to right now. You don't want this."

"Course I do," said Max smiling at him and moving closer.

"Oh this is just great," White muttered. He moved to stand opposite Max who was now in front of the elevator doors watching his every move. White knew that there was only one way out of this, reaching his decision White moved forward and slammed Max against the metal behind her, pressing his lips to hers. Max moaned into the kiss and melted against him. White's hand moved to the right searching for the 'stop' button on the panel. Once he hit it the elevator started moving to their floor again.

When Max felt the doors open behind her she stepped out and flung White around into a wall. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt once more, she pulled him towards their room. Down the hall and to their suite, White was shoved hard against the door. Max ran her hands down his chest and into the front pockets of his jeans.

"Hey!"

"Where's the key?" said Max kissing along his jaw line, when she finally found it, getting it into the door was a hassle between the lock and the man she couldn't get enough of. Max got the door unlocked and pushed him though. As soon as they were inside, she kicked the door closed and shoved him to the ground, quickly straddling his hips and crushing their lips together, she trailed her hands down his chest before ripping his shirt open.

"Okay," said White pushing her up by the shoulders, "I know I did that to you once but really you didn't have to pay me back for it."

Max grinned and pushed his hands off her and moved down to his navel, alternating between kisses and licks back up his chest, back to his lips. When Max finally broke the kiss and reached for the hem of her shirt pulling it over her head and tossed it aside, giving White a pretty good view of her upper body clad only in her black bra.

"That's it," said White sitting up abruptly. Max smiled and giggled happily as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"I don't think so," said White as Max went to kiss him again. He'd managed to get his arm between them to temporarily hold her back.

"Why not?" Max pouted until she noticed his arm. Pushing herself forward White's arm moved up, she took the opportunity to nuzzle and bite his hand playfully.

"Do you have any idea what you would do to me in the morning?"

"Good things?" Max pushed his arm out of the way and grabbed what was left of his shirt to pull him closer to her, "Don't you want me?"

"Honestly?"

"Don't answer," said Max putting a finger to his lips before kissing him again, she pulled his torn shirt down his arms and off, throwing it in a random direction. Running her hands through his hair and down his chest White was trying to make some sense out of all this. It was getting harder to think but he knew that if someone had told him four years ago that he'd be sitting in a hotel room with 452 permanently attached to his mouth he'd have shot them for their idiocy. She was going to kill him come morning...

White put his arms around Max's back and pulled her flush against him, kissing her hard. She sighed into him relaxing in his arms now that she felt him responding consciously instead of trying to foil her ever move. The transgenic giggled as White managed to stand up and manoeuver them to the bedroom.

Nudging the door open and entering the room, White fell onto the bed with Max beneath him, legs around hips, she wasn't letting go. The transgenic groaned as White's weight settled on her. He moved her up the bed so her head rested on pillows. Trailing kisses along her jawbone, White's hands moved down her sides and back up to cup her breasts. Max arched into him and turned her head aside to let White nuzzle her neck before moving onto the exposed skin just above her bra. Max sighed and relaxed totally. She ran her hands through his hair once more before letting them fall to her sides. White took the opportunity take both her hands in his as he bent back up to kiss her again, she was too involved with the feel of him and the way his tongue kept running over hers to even notice what he was doing until she felt the bite of cold metal against her wrists.

White broke the kiss and looked down at Max. She looked at him a little confused until she looked up at her bound hands. when she tried pulling all she heard was the scrape of metal upon metal. White had handcuffed her to the headboard.

"You know," said Max, "If you wanted to get kinky you could've just asked."

"Starting to wish that was the reason."

"What?" Max heat driven mind was getting confused but suddenly became clear about what was going on a couple minutes later, when White had finally managed to free himself from her legs. He was off the bed and breathing heavily as soon as he disengaged himself from her.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," said White opening one of his drawers, "You'll thank me in the morning." Max's eyes widened as White pulled on a new shirt. No, no, no, no, he wasn't just going to leave her here was he?!

"WHAT are you doing?"

"Let me break it down for you: you're in heat. You don't know what you're doing, and come morning if I slept with you, you'd kill me, torture me, or maybe even both, and there are certain parts of me that I'd like to remain attached!"

"Ames please," whined Max tugging on the cuffs, "Just one night."

"You're not in your right mind."

Max's soft plea and doe eyed expression suddenly became her patented fire and quick tempered personality.

"Right mind?! Of course I'm in my right mind! And you're going to do exactly what I say and exactly what I want and right now I want you to uncuff me and get back in this bed!"

"Not happening."

"Ames? Ames please....just..hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" yelled Max as White walked out the door. He pulled it closed behind him as Max started cursing and threatening him. He let out a deep breath before walking through the suite, over to the couch and lying down, trying to ignore Max's heated ranting, raving, and pleading. He prayed that there weren't many people on their floor to hear Max's screaming.

"White, you son of a bitch get me out of these!"

White grabbed a pillow and put it over his face. 452 was admittedly tough when she wasn't insane, but now he had a thoroughly pissed off transgenic in heat over in the next room. White prayed that the cuffs and headboard would hold. He really didn't want to think about what would happen to him if she got out....or did he? No, no, no...bad thoughts. White flung the pillow hard across the room and groaned before running his hands over his face.

What he wouldn't do right now for a cold shower...


	11. A Normal Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"Damn. Stupid. Bitch."

Adelle raged out her mantra as she took out her anger on the hotel's punching back in their gym. How could Ames choose such a stupid women? Didn't he know a good thing when he saw it? That little slut of his didn't deserve him. Adelle stopped her punches as she thought of him and smiled, sighing a little. He was perfect. A little on the short side, but what did that matter? That smirk, those eyes...mmmm...those shoulders, and that little hussy that was draped all over him last...

"Fucking BITCH!" Adelle slammed her fist into the bag she was so focused that she didn't notice that it wasn't swinging back and forth this time. When she finally realized she slowed her punches while staring at the unmoving back. It was only when she looked around that she saw someone holding it for her. Blue eyes met blue.

"I've spent the last ten minutes wondering what could possibly upset such a beautiful woman so much."

"Really?" said Adelle taking a deep breath and cracking her neck to one side, "You often spy on people?"

"I was coming down to use the weights when I heard your tirade, some other guys warned me about coming in here because there was a psycho beating the hell out of a punching bag."

"Psycho?" asked Adelle stepping around the bag and closer to him.

"This wouldn't have to do anything with the darling Mrs. White now would it?"

Adelle's eyes darkened as she lashed out at the punching bag, kicking it square in the middle and flying, "Stupid bitch!" She stormed out of the way of the swinging bag and paced a bit, fuming.

"I knew it."

"Exactly what the fuck is it to you anyway?"

"Truth be told, the little hooker annoys me...there's just something about her..."

"That's just so..." Adelle made a violent motion with her hands.

"Exactly," he said with a smile.

"I'm Adelle," she said.

"Shane."

^^^

Max groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Her muscles ached and felt strained .

'From what?' she wondered. Yawning, Max tried bringing her arms down from above her head only to have them stop for some reason. Her eyes shot open as she heard the scrape of metal against metal, turning her head up she saw that she was handcuffed to the bed. Cuffs? Max's mind went into overdrive. What the hell happened last night?! Cuffs...White had...Where the hell was her shirt? Max struggled with the handcuffs again.

White.

He owns handcuffs. Federal Agent. What the hell did he do? Max narrowed her eyes.

"DAMMIT WHITE! Get me the hell out of these things!!!"

The transgenic continued her violent struggle with the cuffs before the haze of the previous night cleared and images hit her full force. Cuffs forgotten Max swallowed hard as the colour drained from her face. Heat.

^^^

White broke the kiss and looked down at Max. She looked at him a little confused until she looked up at her bound hands. when she tried pulling all she heard was the scrape of metal upon metal. White had handcuffed her to the headboard.

"You know," said Max, "If you wanted to get kinky you could've just asked."

"Starting to wish that was the reason."

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me."

"WHAT are you doing?"

"Let me break it down for you: you're in heat. You don't know what you're doing, and come morning if I slept with you, you'd kill me, torture me, or maybe even both, and there are certain parts of me that I'd like to remain attached!"

"Ames please," whined Max tugging on the cuffs, "Just one night."

"You're not in your right mind."

"...I want you to uncuff me and get back in this bed!"

"Not happening."

"Starting to wish..."

"Ames? Ames please...."

"Starting to wish..."

*THUMP*

White was immediately jolted back to reality as he rolled off the couch and into the coffee table. He opened his eyes and huffed. It was a good thing he couldn't feel pain or his head would be in need of some ice from where it just hit.

"Why the fuck...?" White sat up and stared at the couch. Now why was he...oh yeah...452's heat driven molestation of his pure bred Familiar self. White groaned and moved into a sitting position, thinking over his dream.

'So it wasn't all in my head...' he mused.

"DAMMIT WHITE! Get me the hell out of these things!!!"

Max's yell brought White back to reality, so she was up was she? He could hear her fighting the restraints like she had last night, he hoped to God that she was out of it, she had to do that motherly bonding thing with Ray today but there was no way in hell he was letting her out of the room if she was still rabid. White stopped his thoughts and listened when he suddenly noticed that the suite had fallen into a dead silence. There was no sound from the room. Letting the curiosity (as well as the eventual need to check on her) take him slowly and cautiously to the room.

^^^

'How? Why? When?'

Questions were just flying around unanswered in Max's mind, how the hell could this have happen? She hadn't been in heat since Manticore burned to the ground. Why the hell had it come back all of a sudden? Didn't they fix it like they did the seizures? Would those come back too? Her stomach turned to ice. This couldn't be happening. What did Manticore do? Max was so caught up in her multitude of thoughts that she didn't notice White leaning against the frame of the newly opened door.

"Is it safe for me to uncuff you yet?"

Max jumped a bit before resuming to stare at the ceiling.

White watched her with a frown, he thought she would have said something but then again maybe not. There was a silence after her 'get-me-outta-these' tantrum but he thought she would have rebounded from what had (almost) happened last night. Besides the whole heat and contamination issue, minor psychosis. She was fine now, it wasn't a big deal...

'Since when wasn't contamination a big deal?' his mind asked him, 'She was grinding against you for fuck's sake....scratch that...wait...you know what? Just never mind...'

"452?" No answer.

Shrugging and taking her silence for a non-heat confirmation, White walked up next to the bed with the cuff keys.

"Hey," he said poking her in the arm. All she did was blink at the contact. White gave her an odd look before unlocking that hand cuffs. Once her arms were free she seemed to come back to reality. Sitting up slowly Max looked around and took a deep breath.

"I uh, I'm going to um...yeah..." Max dazedly made her way off the bed and to the bathroom leaving a confused White staring after her.

^^^

Once in the bathroom, Max threw off her remaining clothes and stepped into the shower, making the water as hot as she could stand. After Manticore she had thought she was free of her heat cycles. They stopped coming along with her seizures. It was such a relief that she didn't have to worry about losing it anymore. But now...with the unexpected return of her heat so came all the nights she tried so hard to forget. Max blinked back tears as the hot water cascaded down her body as if it could cleanse her of everything her screwed up DNA had made her do.

^^^

White had started pacing outside the bathroom, Max had been in there for what seemed like forever. An hour since he last saw her and the shower was still going.

"What the fuck is she doing? Trying to drown herself?" he muttered to himself. There was a pang in his stomach that White really didn't want to analyze. What did he care about some transgenic? So what if she was slitting her wrists because she touched him. White rolled his eyes and huffed, out of all the juvenile things...that couldn't be the reason for her stoicness.

White moved away from the door and ran a hand through his hair, something was confusing him even though it shouldn't. He had touched her, and yet for some reason couldn't seem to care. Might have something to do with them sleeping in the same bed for the past five days. So what if she was crawling all over him. Not like they hadn't woken up that close before. Nothing had been inserted so she couldn't be killing herself for that...so then what the hell was her problem...All transgenic females went into heat, shouldn't she have been used to it by now? It was part of her DNA, what she is. White furrowed his bow and then ran his hands over his face. Whatever was wrong with her had something to do with last night, and White was now determined to find out what it was. If she didn't start answering him in the next 3 minutes, he'd pick the lock...again.

"Would you fucking say something?" he pounded on the door for the umpteenth time. When he stopped, he leaned his forehead against the door. Since when did he care if she was okay or not? And since when did he start seeing something like last night as 'no big deal'? White had to keep reminding himself that he had a revved up transgenic draped all over him with her tongue shoved down his throat. So why wasn't that bothering him? White groaned then jumped back when he felt the door give way.

"Do you always do this after an hour?" asked Max

"Just checking if you were still alive."

"I'm fine," she shrugged and brushed past him into their room, she lightly kicked the door so it would slowly swing shut. White narrowed his eyes and followed her, pushing the door open and walking up behind her.

"Oh no, if you were fine you'd be kicking my ass right about now."

"Just get out and let me get dressed."

"Not until I know what the hell your problem is."

"Since when do you care?"

"Answer me 452."

^^^

Max sat on the couch in jeans and a t-shirt after White left her alone long enough to get dressed. Once she was, he herded her out into the living room and onto the couch while he did something in the kitchenette.

Max pressed her hand over her face. She jumped when she felt something warm tough her arm.

"Thanks," she said taking the tea from White. "You didn't poison it did you?"

"If I was going to kill you I would have done it by now."

"Whatever," Max put the cup to her lips and downed the whole thing before setting it on the coffee table.

"So what's wrong with you? First you go into heat, which I admit freaked me out seeing as how I wasn't prepared for it. Second was getting you off and stop looking at me like that you know damn well that I didn't mean what that sounded like...Last but not least you wake up in a daze. Like this hasn't happened to you before. You're part cat, I did read the files you know. So again I repeat what the fuck is wrong with you?....(muttered) it wasn't that bad..."

"What's wrong with me? You want to know what's WRONG with me?!" snapped Max, she was getting annoyed now. How many times has he asked her that already? A couple billion?

"What have I been saying? I'm talking to a wall..."

"IT CAME BACK!" yelled Max, "Okay? My fucking heat is back! It was gone for TWO YEARS! I haven't been in heat since I was recaptured by Manticore and burnt it to the ground. But now it's back, and I want to know what they fucking did to me!!!"

White blinked and stared at Max who was now standing and fuming in front of him.

"But X5's...2 years?"

"Yeah...I...Why now?" She threw her arms up in the air, "Why come back and start screwing with my life again?" Max's shoulders slumped as she deflated. She was angry but somehow just couldn't hold it in. Maybe it was the way White was looking at her, she had never seen it before. He looked thoughtful somehow but that wasn't....he couldn't be concerned....

"Anything else they supposedly fixed?"

Max shrugged and sat on the coffee table, "Seizures are gone..."

"And those they fixed indefinitely...read the file," he added after seeing her look.

"I thought they fixed this too..."

"Maybe they were trying to," offered White, "Maybe they got tired of so many of their female operatives going into heat when they were in the middle of a mission so they decided to come up with something to block the heat? They gave you a trial run and you blew them to bits before they could do any more research on it."

"So this is my fault?"

"Didn't say that, if you want to blame someone blame the idiots that cooked you up. Fucking Sandeman, and his damn gene splicing. You'd think you'd stop after that dog thing."

"That 'dog thing' is named Joshua,"

"Does it look like I care? 5,000 years of perfection and he had to go and mix you with animals. I mean come on, the nomalies, the transhumans, and the X7's are just weird..."

"Are you done?"

"I haven't even started." He leaned back into the couch and tilted his head back.

"You know...all I ever wanted to be was normal...I didn't ask to be a freak."

"So the lady admits she's a freak."

"Since when am I a lady?"

"Since when do you go into heat and maul me? Speaking of which I'm with you on the whole 'why now?' but on the other hand if you'd been in Seattle, you would have probably been jumped by every transgenic there, or Cale would be dead...why didn't we stay in Seattle?"

"So I could get jumped or kill Logan? Though with our luck we probably would have been in a fight to the death when it happened."

"Most likely," agreed White. "Though a dead Cale would be pretty great..."

"Shut up."

"Just saying."


	12. Mother-Son Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"I don't wanna..."

"You have to."

"Don't make me go..."

"You're the one who left him with the Valium Lady, now go get my son!"

After Max and White's little half heart to heart, the reality that was the Family Retreat came crashing down. Max had fifteen minutes to get Ray downstairs to check in with Debra for their mother/son bonding. Having remembered what Katrina was hinting about last night, the transgenic wasn't looking forward to anymore cleverly disguised innuendos from the woman. Nice as Katrina was, she was a little too interested in White and certain...things. Max shuddered.

"Was that because I'm touching you?" asked White from behind Max. He had to resort to physically shoving Max out the door and had felt her shudder.

"I was thinking about what she's going to say. I was half way to insanity last night."

"How insane?"

"...I was going to jump Eugene..."

"Never say that in my presence again," said White reaching for the door. Once he shifted Max tried to take the opportunity to break out of his grip and run further back into the suite. She was stopped when a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

"You're leaving," stated White.

"How about you go get him?"

"And have her ask 'how was it?'"

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is going to be?" demanded Max.

White hurled her into the wall beside the door, their bodies slammed flush against each other.

"After last night, you owe me." And with that White pulled open the door and threw Max out into the hallway slamming the door behind her.

"You asshole!" she pounded against the newly locked door, "You can't use that excuse for everything!"

After a few more shouts and curses, Max finally resigned herself to go pick up Ray. She had ten minutes to sign in. Shuddering again at the thought of what sexual reference Katrina would use this time, the X5 whimpered and proceeded to the elevator...

Back in the room, White listened to her footsteps get further and further away from the room. She and Ray would be gone for most of the afternoon so he was free until three o'clock. What the hell was he going to do? Being alone with his thoughts right now was not going to be fun. They just reminded him that he had 452 up against the wall just seconds before.

White shook the thought out of his head before heading to the bathroom, "Now would be a good time for that shower..."

..................................................................

Max dragged her feet down the hallway, she had to pick up Ray but she really didn't want to. Didn't she want Ray back? Of course. Didn't she love the little sweetheart, manipulations and all? Absolutely. Was she looking forward to Katrina's lewd comments? No.

Not. At. All.

Max groaned as she found herself in front of Katrina's door. Taking a deep breath and now wanting to get this so over and done with, Max braced herself and knocked on the door. It was only a matter of seconds before Katrina was pulling open the door, her bright smiling face beaming at Max. Steeling herself for what was to come Max looked up at her trying to look normal.

"So.."

"Oh he was a little angel!" gushed Katrina, "So polite and well mannered, I think it's great that Rosie has found someone she can hang around with. He's such a little gentleman, you and Ames did such a wonderful job raising him! You both must be so proud to have such a little dear. Any chance of a little brother?" Katrina leaned in and winked for good measure. Max whimpered.

"Ray your mother's here to pick you up! So...have fun? I'd ask for details but I've only know you for what 5 days? Gosh it seems like five years!"

"Fine, everything was...great," said Max a but strained, "Thank you...so much for taking Ray, I know it was quite last minute..."

"Oh it was no problem sweetie, you looked like you were just about to burst."

"Heh...yeah..RAY!" Max looked past Katrina and shouted desperately for her 'son'.

"Oh hey we're all doing the mother/child bonding right away aren't we? Why don't we go down together? We were just about to come get you when you stopped by. Late evening I imagine?"

Max forced a smile and fought the urge to slam her head into the wall, "Sure."

By now she was sure her face was turning a nice shade of crimson, she could sure feel the blood rushing into her cheeks.

"Hey mom!" Max was propelled backwards almost into the opposite wall as the hyped up energy ball that was Ray hugged her tightly around the middle.

"Uh, hey...Ray," coughed Max, she had almost had the wind knocked out of her. When they were ready the four headed down the hall with Katrina talking a mile a minute about what their precious children had been up to.

..........................................................

After checking in with Debra and parting ways from Katrina, Ray and Max had decided to wander around the town. Ray was chatting happily as always and Max was off thinking about the night before. She just couldn't put it out of her mind. Experimental heat control, was that what Manticore was doing? Max was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed that Ray had stopped talking and they had both stopped walking. The boy was staring up at her with his big blue-grey eyes.

"You still with me?"

Ray's voice startled Max back to reality.

"What?"

"You were staring off into space."

"Oh...yeah....well..."

"Is this about last night?"

"Uh, well, Ray about last..." Max froze up. How the hell did you tell an eight year old what a genetic frankenstein you really were? And further more she really did NOT want Ray knowing what had been wrong with her.

"Wanna know what'll cheer you up?" asked Ray.

"What?" asked Max, thankful for his short attention span.

"Buying me that newspaper," said Ray pointing to the newspaper inside the mechanical stand.

"How will buying you a newspaper make me feel better?"

"I'll show you once you do it."

"Is that an order?"

"Now please," said Ray giving her the cutest grin he could muster.

"Fine, you can have your newspaper." Max dug into her pocket for some change. Once she found it she handed it to Ray for him to get the desired item. One he got the newspaper he folded it in half and took a side ways stance.

"What are you doing?"

"Look at that guy over there..."

Max's bow creased as she looked across the street at the young man leaning against the street's guard rail facing the park away from Max and Ray.

"Ray what are you..."

Max was cut off in surprise as she saw a newspaper flying past her to hit the guy in the head.

...................................................................

Across the street, a young unsuspecting man waited for his girlfriend. He was leaning against a guard rail facing the park when the next thing he knew something hard hit him in the back of the head with such force he almost toppled over. Initially thinking a bird hit him, the young man looked to find a newspaper lying on the ground beside him. Looking behind him he saw a kid smile and wave at him while pulling on a woman's arm. He didn't even notice his girlfriend come up behind him.

"Jason I'm ready to go."

"That kid just threw a newspaper at me..."

"From across the street? Okkaaaaaaay..."

..........................................................................

"Did you see me nail him?" Ray had pulled Max down the street and around the corner after waving to the guy he hit. It had reminded him of Jam Pony and all the fun he used to have there.

"I knew he'd corrupt you..."

"I think I was already corrupt."

"How so?"

"I'm my dad's son remember?"

"You were six the last time he saw you how much could you be corrupted in that short amount of...your existence?"

"You'd be surprised at the things I picked up on."

"Do I want to know?"

"I dunno," the tiny Familiar shrugged and gave her a half smile.

"Well even if you were corrupt, Normal did some of it."

"Absolutely," said Ray, "I miss that...Hey after we get back to Seattle I can go back to work with you right? Normal says I help you do your package runs faster because you want to get back to me before he has the chance to do any more psychological damage to my impressionable young mind."

"He does, does he?"

"Yup."

"You know he would damage you just to spite me..."

"Have you ever heard about his Gladiator dreams?"

Max stopped walking and stared at the little sandy-haired boy with wide eyes promising herself to kill Normal personally, "He told you about those?!"

"Oh no, he sent me to get a package in the back and when I came back he was talking to Alec. Alec looked really freaked out. Do you think that's why he took that mission to San Francisco?"

Max let out a breath, sort of glad that she wouldn't have to kill Normal after all. If he had told her eight year old surrogate son personally, she would have. That isn't the kind of thing for children to hear.

"Hey speaking of Normal didn't he want us to pick him up something?"

Max groaned. Ah yes, the deciding factor for him giving her time off work to come here. Normal and his jam.

"What was the place called?"

"Petra's, I think."

"Wanna go before I forget again?"

"Jam, jam, jam...bip, bip, missy miss."

"I think I'm going to kill him anyway..."

...........................................................................

After wandering for another fifteen minutes and watching Ray throw some rocks into a skateboard park thus making the skateboarders and rollerbladers fall and eat asphalt they finally came upon a little shop called "Petra's Floral." The front of it was all done in pink with flower arrangements hanging all over the place. Once they walked in however, it wasn't too bad looking. Hardwood floors, lined with counters holding different sorts of jams on one side of the shop and flowers on the other.

Max and Ray walked along the rows looking for Normal's preferred jam.

"Blueberry, Berry-Berry, they have 'Brandy' jam?"

"Guess so, hey look. 'Beer' flavoured," said Ray holding up a jar to her. Max shook her head, this place looked like it had everything. She continued to look in the 'B' section until she found what she was looking for 'Blackberry.' The jars were quite small so Max picked up four of them, which sold for pretty cheep.

"Oh hey...Ma...Mom? Can we try this one?"

Max turned to look at Ray who was holding up a jar labelled 'Chocolate' with the cutest most oblivious expression on his face which made her heart constrict. But for some reason it was hearing the 'mom' part that got to her, she didn't really know why though. He had called her by that once before and she was shocked more than anything. He had asked to call her that when she told him she was adopting him. What was it about this kid?

"Why not? Look around and pick up a couple."

"Nif-tay," smiled Ray as he drawled out the word 'nifty.'

Max couldn't help a smile as Ray went off, lifting the ends of his shirt to make a basket for all the jars he picked off the counters.

How someone as special as Ray could come from someone like White was unknown to her. Or was it? Max pretended to be reading through labels as she thought.

The last few days hadn't really been that bad. Aside from the initial glares, annoyances and threats (which had disappeared over time) White hadn't tried to kill her and it would have been easy too. How easy would it be for him to kill her in her sleep and take Ray to another country? But he hadn't.

In the beginning it was all done for Ray, the one thing that seemed to pull them together constantly. It was for Ray that White had agreed to all of this and she knew from their fight-conversation a few days prior that he would leave the Conclave for him. Speaking of fight-conversations when was the last time they came to all out blows? Max huffed and went to pretend to look at a different jam section.

When had things changed from mortal enemies to the blurring lines? When had he started to care? She knew she was right this morning, that had been concern that she saw from White. Concern. For her. It baffled her mind. That her heat could flare up with him around of all people, and the next morning he had actually tried to talk to her and find out that the hell had happened, wouldn't leave her alone in fact.

The White she used to know would use it as one more thing to add to the 'freak category' he already held her in, how genetically fucked up she was and how every X5 female (along with all other transgenics as an after thought) should be put down and shot. But what did this one do?

'So the lady admits she'd a freak.'

Since when was she a lady to him? When they were fighting over the bed it had been, 'What lady? I sure as hell don't see one anywhere.' What had changed? Their so called 'therapy' was all messed up so that couldn't be it. Was it the constant day in day out having to live with each other that was forcing them to see new sides of each other? Max was startles out of her reverie by something touching her hand. She jumped and yelped as she turned, only to see Ray staring up at her like she was insane.

"Only me, jeez you're jumpy. Stop the space staring already. I'm done." He jiggled his shirt so she could hear the jars he picked clinking together.

"Yeah...right, let's go then," Max breathed and pushed him towards the cashier who was looking at them oddly.

..........................................

After purchasing the jam, Max and Ray took the time to go around the town of Donovan checking out it's certain sites and finally coming to a small park. Max was going to head to one of the benches when Ray grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to the swings. He flung himself on one while she sat on the one next to his.

"I love swinging, I had an awesome one in the back yard, I showed it to you right?"

"On your tour of the house you did," Max confirmed.

"It was so great, even before I had that one in the back. Whenever dad got home early from work he'd take me to the park and I'd run to swings. He used to push me so high I used to pretend I could fly. Hey, did Manticore ever make transgenics that could fly? Cuz that would have been cool."

"I don't think they did, a little suspicious to see that wouldn't it?" said Max, thinking of what Ray had just said about his father. She was still just getting used to White do normal things. All she knew was the well dressed professional killer which all conflicted with the loving, dedicated father who cooked and took his son to the park. Which was starting to conflict to what she had experienced from him over this trip.

"He's not that bad you know."

"What?" For the third time today, Max snapped out of her trance to look at Ray.

"My dad. He's not that bad you know," repeated Ray. "The two of you are actually pretty similar..."

"Similar? Me and him? How?"

"Well for one, Manticore and The Conclave. Their training regime's were pretty close to being the same. The two of you are also the most strong-willed and stubborn people I have ever met, you're both leaders, have I said stubborn? And you know what the weirdest thing is? I swear you both have the same look when you contemplate things. Like that time I caught you staring out at the city from the roof in TC? Just watching the world like it would start to slip in a second? My dad had that same look one time. I came to say good night and he was staring out the window, like you were staring off the roof. You just...complement each other. You're tempers match, your brush offs match, and I haven't met anyone but you who could ever argue back successfully with my dad. Everyone else usually backs off, not just with him but with you too. Alec may roll his eyes, Mole huffs sometimes, and Logan doesn't count. He tried to argue but ends up getting all preachy and running in circles. You and dad make points to each other, and have some pretty good insults going back and forth. No one can trade it like you two can."

Max laughed at Ray's last statement at which the kid just smiled up and her. Her and White? Complementing each other? She'd have to think about that more later, her mind had been in so many places lately. And here it was going on yet another tangent. Seattle. She had called Original Cindy a couple days ago to let everyone know she wasn't dead. And Seattle brought another thing to mind: Logan. Just where exactly did they stand anymore? Before they had their last fight before she took off for the retreat, Logan was the love of her life. He accepted her for who she was right? He accepted her for what she was, didn't he? He showed her what love was and that the world wasn't full of evil people...yeah? Wasn't she still mad at him? More things to be thought of later.

"It's almost three we should get going," said Max.

"Think about it."

"I have a lot to think about."

The two got off their swings and started to head back to the hotel. They had family counselling tonight so they'd best get prepared. Max and Ray had all agreed that this retreat was probably some tax write off or psychological experiment being conducted by Starshine Moonchild who was really an alien from some hippie-ways loving planet light years away.

Twenty-five minutes later, Max and Ray arrived back at the hotel. After they had checked in with Beth, the receptionist, they headed to the elevator.

"Do you think Katrina might be from the same planet 'Starshine' is from?"

"I think she's from some planet."

"Dad would probably say Valium. She's a perky woman," said Ray. He then started getting a light smirk on his face. Thinking of Katrina made him remember something she had said to Max...

Max had just pressed the button when Ray wrapped his arms around her middle, and smiled up at her innocently.

"So...," said Ray, "any chance of a little brother?"

"What?!" screamed Max looking down at Ray, who just smiled.

"What the hell did that woman tell you?!"

"I could hear her whispering to you."

"Stop smiling like that."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Have fun last night?"

"Just get in the elevator."


	13. Setting the Record

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

White watched his scotch swirl in its glass as he sat at the hotel's bar. He had spent the day doing nothing, though he thought he might have missed some father's only group thing. Ah well, nothing he wanted to do anyway. Idiot humans and their stupid so-called 'therapy'. All it did was confuse a black and white relationship, leaving him standing in a grey area as far as 452 was concerned. White shook his head and took a drink. There should be no grey area where she was concerned. None what-so-ever. Then why was there?

White blinked, drained his drink, and slammed his head down on the bar. Stupid 452 this was all her fault. No, scratch that, this was all Ray's fault. But on the other hand he could blame 452 for letting him catch them and then having some social worker catch them after that. He could but he wouldn't. This was Ray's little plot. White rested his head on his arms and wondered what he had created in the boy. Or more importantly, why Ray was so attached to the X5.

White groaned. He had a feeling he knew the reason. He'd seen them interact, how Ray flung himself at 452, how she couldn't help smiling at the brat. Seeing them interact it brought White to the conclusion that 452 treated Ray like he was her own kitten. Her son. White knew that thought should be bothering him; some mixed species freak built in a lab thinking of his own purebred son as hers, but for some reason it didn't. And this worried him.

If he didn't mind the transgenic thinking of his son as hers, and Ray inturn seeing her as a mother figure, then...what next? Less then a week ago he would have welcomed the opportunity to put a bullet in her head. But now, he wasn't sure. Just this morning, pushing her out the door, and before that talking about...last night...it was like...bonding...

White raised his head from the bar and upon seeing what was seated to his right, sorely wished he hadn't.

"Hello Ames," said Adelle sweetly, "fancy seeing you here."

"Bar's not that big," he muttered, "Only a matter of time..."

"I knew you missed me."

"Not really," said White, "I was hoping you'd give it up. You didn't resume stalking until yesterday."

"Hmph, stalking...I can't believe that's how you think of it. Anyways, I had a little run in with the wife a few days ago."

"Yeah, heard about that," said White, knowing that she was not intending to leave.

"It was Mitzy or something, right? Mindy?" said Adelle, "what ever happened to Wendy?"

White's left eye twitched. What he wouldn't give for his trusty tie and for the bar's patrons to turn a blind eye. He wondered how Adelle would react if she knew he was a Familiar, or that his supposed-wife was a transgenic. How fast would she run...but on the other hand there was the chance that it wouldn't phase her or she would only hear what she wanted to hear. He sighed.

"Well?"

Oh. Right. She was waiting for an answer.

"Car crash, year into our marriage."

"Pity, and then you met Mandy somewhere, the things I've heard from Gertie..."

"Get to the point."

"What are you doing with someone like her?"

"Is that any of your business?"

"It was just a question," said Adelle. "You could have done better is all..."

"Talking about yourself?"

"Who else?"

"Not interested," said White cooly.

Adelle didn't seem to hear him, "And then of course you ignored me for the first four days we were here. We could have spent all that time getting caught up and such. I did see you before yesterday but I thought you would come see me first."

"And why would I do that?"

"Well surely after all these years, you still find me attractive..."

White slowly turned to see Adelle twirl her hair around her finger.

What?

Attractive?

Since when?

White tried to remember anything he could have done in the past that would have given her that assumption, though any memory (short of how annoying she was) refused to surface.

"...and honestly, what kind of name is Mincy anyway?"

White blinked once he realized that Adelle was on an entirely different topic. But who was Mincy? And then it became clear: Mincy, Mandy, Mindy, Mitzy.

Max.

Transgenic she may be, but far superior than Adelle could ever hope to be. Faster and stronger than any human (genetic enhancements aside) with an attitude that just didn't quite. There was always a comment, no matter what her mood. The insults they traded, and for the past few days nothing but verbal spars. She challenged him. As White was thinking he hardly registered the voice in the back of his head shouting warnings and abort transmission, another thing that was barely registered was Adelle's blabbering. Running in circles and uttering nothing but nonsense. When his brain finally heard what she was going on about, his annoyance stretched to its limit. Time to put her in her place.

"And then you were..."

"Okay, let me break it down for you," interrupted White, "so your tiny little brain can comprehend what I'm saying. I'm. Not. Interested. Never was, and never will be. It's been eleven years Adelle, and I haven't thought of you once. I was happy forgetting you even existed. The annoying little gold-digging glory hound who followed me around like a sick puppy. It was annoying and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get rid of you."

"That's because deep down you knew you loved me."

Actually I'm thinking of how to dispose of your body... thought White before saying, "It's not getting though is it? I can't stand you. The only reason I'm here is because I was manipulated into it by my dear son. The only good thing that came out of this retreat was giving me a family again. You, I'm done with, and never want to see again."

White dropped a few bills on the table for his drink and got up.

"Oh and Adelle?" he said before walking out. "Her name is Max."


	14. Just One More Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"Are they supposed to keep us waiting this long?" asked Ray hitting his head on the cushion behind him.

"I swear this place is a hoax," said White, "How much do you wanna bet that Princess Moonbeam walks through that door."

"Starshine Moonchild."

"Sure it wasn't moonshine?" asked White.

"What's moonshine?"

"Nothing sweetie," said Max glaring at White.

"Is it like Valium?" asked Ray as his 'mother' intensified her glare at her father. Just before she could get a word in the door opened and their counsellor walked in.

"Sorry I'm late, looks like I'm interrupting, are you all right Mrs. White?"

Max spluttered. MRS. White?

"Anyway sorry to keep you waiting. It's great to see you three again."

Max and White looked at the woman for a few minutes before they recognized the blonde hair and annoyingly sweet smile.

"Hi Robyn!" said Ray.

"Hey there sweetie, I see we remember each other."

"Hey, wait, I thought you were a social worker..." said Max.

"Oh I am, but I'm also a part time therapist as well."

White rolled his eyes as Max stared at the woman who gave Ray the idea to come to the retreat.

"I think we should get started don't you?" asked Robyn. "My file says here that you two have been married for nine years, eloped to Las Vegas, and have a wonderful eight-year-old boy. So after being together for so long, when did you first noticed problems within the family?"

"Ames's job," said Max immediately.

"Oh sure bring that up."

"Well if you weren't transferred I would have been happy!"

"What happened with the job?" asked Robyn.

"Dad worked really late," said Ray filling in, "We lived in Edmonton but then moved to Seattle and they changed all his working hours around and then mom was getting mad cause he wasn't home anymore so then they got separated."

"You two have been separated?" Robyn asked Max and White but it was Ray who answered.

"For two years," he said nodding.

Robyn smiled at Ray and leaned down to his sitting height, "It is so nice to see such an open and helpful young man trying to help his parents work it out, it's really not often that it happens. Most of the children I see are in these sessions hardly talk at all. They're usually afraid of their parents reactions."

"Well he's not," said White.

"He doesn't shut up."

"Nope never," said Ray smiling. "Whatever it takes to make them understand each other."

After White and Max's groan Robyn asked, "Why's that such a bad thing."

"You want me to understand her?"

"No way I'll ever understand him."

"Name me one thing that you'll never understand about each other."

"Uh..um...well..."

"Can you?"

"Yes dammit give me a minute!" said Max crankily. The things she didn't understand about White couldn't be said straight out, she would have to twist things around, "I don't understand...why you had to have the job you have."

"It's what was required of me. Not that you'd understand that."

"Would to! I was...also required for...things. But unlike you I said 'no' and chose my own path. I broke out of my bonds."

"Family tradition and than what you had to endure. I didn't think I had a choice, and unlike your...'family' I couldn't get away from it."

Robyn looked back and forth between Max and White before asking Ray if he followed anything they just said. Upon receiving an affirmative, the therapist shrugged and decided to continue with the session. Further into the hour, Robyn was getting annoyed with all the dodgy answers, it was like the Whites talked in nothing but code, and yet she listened anyway, trying to find something to grab onto or pull out to get deeper into their problems.

She was a little amazed to see that little Ray White was seemingly doing her job for her. Cute kid, real cute kid. If there was any hope for this couple, that boy was it.

>>>

"I can't wait till this is over."

"We leave tomorrow," said White.

"I thought this was seven days, not six?"

"New announcement before you two got back. Day seven is 'Graduation' so unless you want to stay around for that..."

"Tomorrow's fine," said Max.

"But we still have classes," said Ray.

"I know," said White, "that's why we leave after the classes. The last one's at three, so we register to leave early tonight, the 'counsellors' pool our participation, give us a last farewell and we're out of here by four, five at the latest. Back in Seattle by seven or eight."

"I like that plan."

"I would have liked to see Rose one more time."

"Who?"

"Katrina's daughter," said Max, smiling as White shuddered.

"They're nice people," said Ray.

"They're annoying people."

"I like them."

"You like trangenics," said White looking pointedly at Max.

"And what's wrong with that?" she asked.

"MAAAXXXIIINNNNNNNEEEEE!" White winced as he was cut of by Katrina's shrill yell from across the lobby. Speak of the devil...

"I tell you, The Coming would have taken care of people like her."

"Don't make me regret my choice..."

"So how was your session?" Katrina and her family bustled over to the Whites, "great I hope, hope everything's all worked out, though I should say I can't imagine you two having any problems after the other day, hint, hint."

Max attempted a half smile and hung her head, let's all remind her of last night and that Manticore was still screwing with her life.

"Oh! Did you hear about Shane and Michelle? Apparently she left him this morning I heard Gertie saying he had a thing going on with Adelle and she saw them in the bar. Michelle gave up on their marriage and is going for divorce."

Max furrowed her brows Shane...Shane...who was that again? The name sounded familiar...she turned to White who just shrugged.

"Anyway we were, oh no wait, we talked about this in therapy," said Katrina, "I should stop now. Geney honey why don't you ask them?"

"Thank you dear," said Eugene, "we were going out for ice cream when Katrina saw you three and thought we'd ask you to come."

"Oh well..."

"We'd love to," said Ray happily.

"Uh, well you see actually..." started White

"We were just going to ask you the same thing!" finished Ray.

Max and White looked at each other. They had both tried, yet the brat had beat them both. Again.

>>>

Max was exhausted. After her heat flare up last night, to all the thinking she did in the morning, to contemplating Ray's words to her about White, to the therapy, to listening to Katrina talk, then stop to let Eugene get a word in. Who knew he could talk? To coming back here and falling face down on the couch. She moaned when she felt someone poking her.

"Are you okay?" asked Ray.

"Uhh huuh." Not only Katrina and Eugene but with her hearing she could pick up everything Ray and Rosalyn were talking about too. The Blue Lady forbid if the ever got married. Max did not need Katrina for an in-law. Nice and friendly as she was, her not-so-subtle comments about White just wouldn't stop. She really didn't need to hear about how many more children of White's children she should have.

"You sure?"

"Just tired."

"That was fun."

"Says you," said White.

"Says me."

A few minutes later they had decided to watch a movie. The hotel was supplying them for free and Ray was too hopped up on sugar to go to sleep. The movie had ended up being so completely mundane that Ray had suggested muting it and supplying the voices on their own. It had made for a much more interesting time. Three-quarters of the way through the kid had fallen asleep on Max's shoulder.

Max had taken to his room and sat looking at him. What the hell was happening to her? The kid just sucked her into his little world. A world that just happened to include his father. Someone who by all rights she should still hate out right. White couldn't be growing on her after only less than a week of not trying to kill her could he?

Max rested her head on her hand, such a cute kid, and daddy wasn't that bad looking either. She blinked and groaned quietly. Less than a week and she was getting used to White. And maybe was getting slightly attracted to him, though on the other hand the attraction may just be a side effect of her recent heat.

And now she was tired, another thank you to Manticore; damn them, maybe she should sleep on the couch tonight. White did last night...oh boy.

Max cringed. Last night. Heat, crawling all over him. But then she remembered their conversation in the morning. He didn't seem weird about it but she still did. The weirdest thing was that it had seemed like they were almost...bonding. Hell even there therapy seemed like just that 'therapy' there was none of the barbs thrown like the first time they did it together. Sighing Max headed out of Ray's room and to hers and White's.

She stood at the door with her arms crossed, "This isn't going to be weird is it? I mean...well you know, after last night..."

"Not unless you make it weird," said White.

"Me? I'll have you know..."

"Just shut up and get in bed Max."

Any retort that Max had planned was caught in her throat as her brain registered that White had said her actual name. Not a designation, but her name. Shocked into silence she just stood there blinking at him.

"Hey 452, you deaf?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Sleep on the couch for all I care."

"As if," said Max pulling up the covers on her side and settling in. "You sure there's no weirdness?"

"Not unless you have a relapse," said White closing his eyes before snapping them open again and pinning her with a scrutinising gaze, "You aren't...are you?"

Max glared at White before hitting him in the side and rolling away.

>>>

White awoke the next morning feeling a distinct difference than other mornings. He usually slept on his back, and recently, Max was usually sprawled across his chest or snuggling into his side. This time he was surprised to find himself wrapped around her. What was even more surprising was that he was quite comfortable and didn't really want to move. It was a disconcerting feeling, having so much close contact with the transgenic that took his son, stopped The Coming and very nearly ruined his career. How could the woman who did all that, and gave him so much trouble, be so incredibly soft?

And since when did he start thinking of her as a woman?

He sighed as he let his hand run over her stomach. The material of her top had risen slightly in sleep and his hand came in contact with her skin. So incredibly soft...

When wasn't she a freak? Or just some dirty transgenic? Since when did he start feeling for her? This was all Ray's fault.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Max's breathing change or her hand moving to rest over his own until she snuggled back against him.

"What is this?" asked Max. He realized that she must have been thinking over the same things as he had been. Things had changed between them somewhere down the line. Hell he had even defended her chosen name to Adelle.

"I don't know," said White.

"It's something isn't it?"

"It might be."

"This has gotten too weird."

"I told you it'd only be weird if you made it weird."

Max rolled onto her back and looked up at him, "This isn't weird to you Mr. I-hate-transgenic-and-would-sooner-shoot-one-than-touch-one?"

"Okay it's weird," admitted White, "but I think we both know whose fault this whole situation is."

"Ray's?"

"Ray's."

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Max.

"He's going to want us both raising him..."

"Obviously. So we're going to what? Work something out?"

"We might have to."

"I've noticed all your insults have lost their spite."

"Yours don't have any bite."

"That rhymed," said Max starting to smile.

"Shut up."

She just laughed, "How did this all happen again?"

"My son's evil remember?"

"Yeah well you should....wait, what the hell is that?" asked Max pushing herself up on her elbows and looking at the end of the bed. White sat up and looked at the lump that Max was prodding with her foot.

Max moved to pull up the bottom of the covers and had to stop a laugh. Curled up in a ball at the end of the bed was Ray. Max couldn't help a smile that made its way to her lips. The sound of Ray's even breathing told Max that he was still asleep, even after their talking and then being prodded by her foot. The moment was then gone as she heard White groan.

"Oh, not again..." White fell back on the bed and pulled a pillow over his face.

"He's done this before?"

"Yes. Don't normal kids usually try and get between the parents? Not Ray though, never him. It was always the foot of the bed. I think he's trying to suffocate himself."

Max laughed again.


	15. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

Max, White, and Ray sat in one of the rooms with the other couples who were leaving early. The classes had ended twenty minutes ago and they were all waiting for their tallied participation results.

"This is boring," said Ray kicking the legs of his chair.

"We'll be gone soon."

"Can we go straight to Terminal City?"

"I think not," said White. "You're going straight home."

"How come?"

"We'll discuss it later."

Ray shrugged and went back to kicking. At least his father had said they'd 'discuss' it instead of just a flat out 'no'.

They were making progress.

"Can we stop at Jam Pony?"

"Let's do that tomorrow," said Max curse Normal and his jam.

A collective sigh from the group was released as the councellors finally came in. And a collective groan followed as they proceeded to tell everyone how missed they would be at the congratulatory party tomorrow.

After another hour of listening to them blab on about nothing, the couples and their children were finally given their results, teary good-byes and finally sent on their way. The retreat was over for them. Some were happy because their marriages were worked out, while others were deciding how best to kill whoever sent them to the retreat.

>>>

"Oh it was so nice meeting you folks, I hope this isn't the last time we see of each other," said Katrina, she had caught them as they were heading towards the door and rushed on over to say good-bye. She and her family were staying the final day, Eugene having met a prospective business buyer for whatever job it was he did. Rose and the prospective's daughter apparently got on quite well together too.

"Well it…wasn't that bad…" said Max.  
"It would have been better had they been more organized, I heard this was the first time they tried the retreat. There are opinion forms at the front desk to mail in feedback on how you thought the retreat went."

Max had to grab White's jacket to prevent him from going over to get the forms. She knew exactly what he would be writing down: 'Death to Moonchild' or something equally as homicidal.

"And such a handsome little man," said Katrina to Ray, "take care of your parents okay?"

After their good-byes to the Levinson family and huge hugs from Katrina. They were off. Or almost off. Max had forgotten to return the key so she ran back to the front desk while White and Ray waited in the car. On her way down the outside steps she heard a familiar whining voice.

"Let me guess, saved marriage? Must be nice to sucker Ames into taking you back."

Max rolled her eyes as Adelle stepped out in front of her. She was quickly becoming a pain in the ass.

"Little miss 'I'm so sweet' I bet you just batted your big brown eyes and he caved. Must be nice not having to work for anything in your life. Me on the other hand, I've had to crawl my way up every ladder and slope that came my way. I've worked harder than anybody. Ames knew that but he went for prissy Olsen, the little betty homemaker."

Having dealt with Lydecker, Renfro, Manticore, White, and The Conclave, Max was not in the mood for Adelle's bitching about a hard life. Whatever she thought was hard was absolutely nothing compared to the military training Max received as a child.

The woman was getting on her very last nerve.

"You know what?" said Max, "you're not worth it. Nothing I say is going to get through your thick skull because you're too busy crying about what never could have been twelve years ago or something. Get over it and go back to your own family. And if you say one more word to me I will hit you so hard that you'll go flying."

"Bring it bitch if you think you can…"

Max swung. And just as predicted, Adelle went flying over the rail and into the bushes. She'd probably be unconscious for a few hours, someone might find her, but whether that person left her there or not wasn't Max's concern.  
Brushing her hands together, she continued down the stairs, "I warned her," she said smiling.

>>>

When Max pulled open the car door and got in White couldn't help but notice how happy she looked.  
"I doubt taking a key back would give you that much satisfaction."

"I hit Adelle."

When she looked over at White she couldn't help but smile wider, he looked so crestfallen and at his next words she laughed out loud, "I missed it?"

"Was she that dumb lady that was dumb?" asked Ray.  
"Yep."

"I can't believe I missed it…"

"The Coming would have…"

"Stop talking like your father," said Max, "I don't want to think about it…"

"But…"

"Ray!"

"Fine…are we going home now?"

"…I missed it?"

"Dad? Dad?" Ray leaned closer to the front and waved a hand in front of his father's face.

"Yes you missed it," confirmed Max, "it was just one punch, she went over the side."

"If dad and I were there we could have put some jam on her and maybe rub some dirt in, then when she woke up she'd be screaming and stuff."

"You know I worry about you right?" asked Max.

Ray just smiled.

>>>

"Come on, come on…" Logan was waiting for Dr. Carr to finish the analysis. They had reached what was thought to be a breakthrough in the retrovirus's design. Time would only tell if this dosage would be enough to finally nullify it indefinitely. Why didn't they think of retrying the temporary cure Max had a few years ago? All it needed was something extra and a little tweaking. With all of Logan's smarts he was dumbfounded that he hadn't thought about it earlier. He must have been too upset at the time to think straight.

He was, after all, Logan Cale, good guy extraordinaire and Eyes Only. He could find anything, he could do anything. He was sure of it. And if he could get the virus cure to work when Max came back, she would be so eternally grateful and happy that all thoughts of the Whites would vanish from her mind and she would concentrate on her future with him.  
She would be so happy that she'd forget all about the fight they had when she left. With the virus gone there would be nothing left standing in their way of happiness together. Maybe they would have a son of their own and all the attachment she felt for Ray would disappear and she'd finally let him send the Junior Familiar off to some foster parents in England.

Virus gone equals happy Max. Happy Max equals Happy Logan.  
Happy Logan plus Happy Max equals happy crime fighting family.

It would all work out.

He was sure of it.

>>>

White's time projection had been almost dead on as they arrived in Seattle twenty minutes ago after the three-hour trip from Donovan. Never again would White let any member of his family step foot in that town.

"I should probably get home let OC know I'm alive and well," said Max standing in the doorway of White's home.

"No, no!" said Ray quickly hugging her middle, "you have to stay. Please?"

"Sweetie I'll see you tomorrow kay?"

"No."

"How about," said White trying to compromise, "she'll be here until you fall asleep."

"I won't fall asleep."

"Then I should go now..."

"I'll sleep."

Max walked down the stairs to the front door, Ray had finally succumbed to sleep ten minutes ago and she spent the time watching him. He looked so peaceful lying there with nothing to disturb him. Back, safe in his house with a father who really would do anything for him.

And sure said father was a transgenic killing psychopath but as much as she hated to admit it, he was more than that too.

Ames White really did have two sides to him, but they were both as real as the other. The loving father was all of himself that he gave Ray and the cold NSA agent was the dissociated face he had to put on to do his job effectively.

And he never mixed the two until now. She had seen both. And in the passed week she had seen him shift the cold loathing of her he had with his job and mix it with the warmer side that he held only for his son.

She really didn't know where they stood anymore. They were on opposite sides. Transgenic vs. Familiar.

After Ray's bonds with the both of them, how could things ever go back to the way they once were?

Max blinked as she finally noticed a hand waving in front of her face.

"...she's deaf and blind..."

"Stop that!" Max swatted White's hand away.

"I thought you were never going to notice."

"I...I was spaced out wasn't I?"

"Thinking of something important?"

Max stopped in front of the front door and turned to face him.

"So...we're back, in Seattle. You have Ray so...what now? Is there something I-I don't know...I...do we go back to fighting? How things were before? Trying to kill each other on a daily basis as if this past week hadn't happened?" Max couldn't stop the out pour of her thoughts as they came to her, "So what? You take Ray back to some Familiar school and make him forget I'm anything but the enemy? Are we enemies? Are we even that anymore? God, I...what happened? To...everything, I just..."

"Ray happened."

Max opened and closed her mouth silently before running her hands over her face.

Ray.

That's what happened.

She got too attached.

Too emotionally tied.

Ray entered her world and made himself a place in her heart.

He was hers.

He really was.

But he was also White's.

All of White's.

Ray had nothing of her.

"What do you think this is?" she asked him sullenly.

"I think..." he sighed. He was as in the dark about the whole thing as she was. But she was right: what was going to happen? They couldn't go back to fighting, that he knew but she just...it wasn't easy, it would never be easy but hey, what the hell?

"No, you know what? Screw it." White cupped her face and kissed her.


	16. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being mistaken for a feuding couple fighting over child custody. Max and White are forced into parenting classes together and sent on a Family Retreat workshop with other couples and their kids. They thought it couldn’t get any worse...

"A cure?"

Max stared at Logan in shock over his revelation: while she had been gone he had found a cure for the virus. So that's what was in the package she had picked up from Carr that she vaguely remembered. Testing research to make his goal reality.

Max blinked. She had gotten back to Seattle yesterday night, and in those hours since she had stayed with Ray till she fell asleep, checked up on OC, brought Normal his jam, and came to find Logan. Though the one thing that still hung in her mind was being kissed by White.

He had kissed her.

And now here was Logan offering her the viral cure so that he could kiss her. After two years of being apart, she could finally be with Logan.

But was that what she wanted?

"Are you sure?"

"Max I'm positive. We've been testing and re-testing non-stop. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to get your hopes up if it didn't work."

"You're sure?"

"Max, you said that already. I know it's a lot to take in, after all these years of being careful. This is it Max, this is the cure."

>>>

Max sat listlessly on the couch as the antivirus worked its way through her system.

She was cured. Or at least she would be if touching Logan in the next few minutes didn't cause him to drop dead at her feet.

"Well that's time. It should be safe now."

Max watched as Logan sat down on the coffee table in front of her and offered her his hand.

Two years. Two years of waiting for this moment, the moment when they could be together. She had clung to this dream for so long and now it was right here in front of her. She wouldn't kill Logan with the touch of her hand.  
She wanted to be with him...didn't she? She loved him...right? After all the missions and Manticore, realizing their love too late, Alec and Asha threatening them apart.

Logan accepted her for what she was. He needed her for Eyes Only...Eyes Only...his missions, his work-a-holic nature. Would that always come first?

Their hands touched.

One second. Two. Five. Ten. Nothing. A whole minute and she found herself in Logan's arms as he pulled her close to him. Their cheeks touched, he kissed her neck.

"It worked, it really worked. Max the virus is gone."

"Yeah."

Relief she didn't kill him. Why was that all she could feel? Wasn't this something she wanted more than anything? Wasn't this what she had hoped for before that week in Donovan? Before she had been pretending to be White's wife? Before Ray was calling her 'mom', before any of that...

Ray loved her, he truly did. And now he was back with his father. What would happen if she stayed with Logan? Hell, Ray's whereabouts were something she was still going to have to tell Logan. And after that it'd be another crusade to send they boy to England. And he'd use her to get to Ray and take him from his father. If that happened, Max knew that Ray would never forgive her. He already held Logan in contempt.

What was best for Ray. Logan thought it was getting him away from White so he couldn't turn Ray into a mini-Ames that killed people.

But Max didn't think he'd do that. Not now. All he wanted for Ray was to survive and to be strong. Hadn't White alluded that he'd turn his back on the Conclave if it meant protecting Ray? White could have killed her anytime during the retreat, especially when she had been in heat. She had been all over him, it would have made the perfect opportunity to snap her neck.

One thing's for sure, the Whites definitely knew how to mess with a person's mind.

"Max? Is something wrong?"

"What?" Max looked up to see Logan staring at her with concern.

"I thought you'd be happy about this."

"What? Yeah, yeah I am, I didn't kill you I'm happy, just distracted."

"Distracted? Max we just got rid of the virus, for the past two years that's all either of us have dreamed of. It's gone now. How can you be distracted? What could be more important than this?"

Max stood up and walked away from him. Wringing her hands together she turned to face him.

"Look Logan...I just...I don't think I want this."

"Want this? Want what? The relationship we've been trying to keep together for over two years, the one that started and neither of us would admit it when we had the chance? And now that we can have it you don't want it? Max, I don't believe this."

"Neither do I."

"Why? Is it Ray?"

"Logan..."

"Is there an ultimatum here?"

"No, I don't know, I just, I can't do this right now."

Taking her jumbled and confused thoughts with her, Max left Logan's as quickly as she could.

>>>

Logan and White. White and Logan. Ray and White, Logan and something. Family either way, just what did she want?

Logan loved her right? But would work always come first with him? Would he neglect a child for his work? He was impatient with Ray, but he was so good with Brittany.

Ray, he loved her no questions asked. He was a sweetie. He was her son. She felt like his mother, she felt a maternal protection for the boy. Losing him would hurt so much more than losing Logan. And Logan couldn't accept him, Max knew that much.

And White? Where the hell did they stand? They had gone from being enemies to the Blue Lady-knows-what-they-were. He hadn't tried to kill her. He listened to her. He truly looked concerned about certain things, he loved Ray as much or more than she did. He'd give up the Conclave for him. And he had kissed her. Something she never thought possible. It wasn't light and sweet like Logan's always were, it was pent up passion and longing. She recognized a part of herself in him then. The strength and the difference from others, something that would forever separate them from the ordinaries.

Ray was right. They were a lot alike.

She sighed as she sat on the Space Needle, the best place for contemplating her thoughts. Would she prefer a life with Logan or one with the Whites? Whatever the choice, she'd deal with it when it came, for right now was supposed to be the last night of the Family Retreat and it just felt right to come up here.  
And watching what played out before her, the choice just might have become easier as to what her future may hold.

"This place is so cool."

"No it's not. It's dark, high, dangerous, and Raymond White get the hell away from that edge!"

Max couldn't help but smile as Ray attempted to venture further out on the Needle with White growling behind him.

"Aw, Dad come on, I'm not going to fall."

"If you kill yourself it's your own fault."

Ray smiled as he explored the sloping terrain. He had always had a thing for exploring, whether it was Terminal City or Logan's closets. He was a sweetheart, and he had become Max's world.

"He doesn't listen to me anymore," said White sitting down next to Max, "I blame you for that. It's just another of your charming personality traits he's picked up on."

"Yeah I suppose so." She felt his arm by her waist and couldn't help but lean into him.

"The idiot put up a big fuss?"

"I don't think I stayed around long enough for him to fully realize what I was saying."

"Things change."

"Yeah, they do."

"I think there's a person down there," said Ray.

"What'd I tell you about that ledge?"

"Mom, make him stop."

Even as she just watched him, Ray backed up a bit from the edge and started, what seemed to be, looking around for something.

"Things are always going to be complicated," said White, "even more-so now."

"Tell me about it."

It was odd. Never in her life did Max think that she'd be on top of the Space Needle with Ames and Ray White. Never in a million years. But here they were, watching the city go about its nightly business while Ray continued along with his carefree strides.

Max felt like she could do this for the rest of her life. To watch Ray learn and grow, with her and White...what? Raising him? Together? The strangest thoughts rolled through her mind. A week ago she couldn't stand the older Familiar but now, she really didn't mind him. She might even...

Max looked up at White only to find him already looking at her. His usual hate-filled contemptuous glare seemed to be replaced indefinitely by a softer 'what-the-hell-are-we-doing' look. If this is what Max wanted, what they both wanted, there was sure to be hell to pay on both sides. No one would understand it but them.  
She had always been a fighter, an outsider, always on the run. Why should that be any different now?

She could choose Logan, choose safe, stay with the Transgenics...and abandon the child and potential future she had just found.

She could choose against the odds with White, give up Logan, Seattle, the TransFamiliar War. Let them fight it out on their own.

Maybe with her and White gone, the power players of the opposing sides, maybe they could escape the insanity of a broken world and its problems.

Even for just a little while.

Traitors, outcasts, they could never come back.

An exclusive life, a secret life. Whatever happened, White was right. Things were much more complicated now.

"I-" she started, only to be interrupted by a young boy's voice.

"Hey, bet I can hit that guy down there?"

Looking over at Ray, both Max and White groaned as their son leaned over the side with a rock.

Simple or difficult, complicated and odd, one in a million.

It was her life, and all about choice.

END.


End file.
